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PREFACE. 


THE  author  deems  it  proper  to  say  that  the  term  "  legend,"  used  in  the 
title  of  this  book,  is  not  to  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  that  which  is  fictitious 
or  doubtful,  but  of  what  is  strictly  historical  and  true ;  and,  although 
the  events  narrated  are,  in  point  of  fact,  believed  to  be  strictly  true,  yet 
there  are  many  incidents  connected  with  them  of  such  marvellous  charac- 
ter as  to  touch  not  only  the  romantic,  but  the  sublime  of  personal  dar- 
ing and  moral  heroism.  Hence  he  has  preferred  the  title  of  "Legends."* 

The  object  of  this  book  is  to  present  to  the  public  a  faithful  record  of 

some  of  the  most  thrilling  events  connected  with  the  border  wars  carried 
v> 

on  for  several  years  between  the  whites  and  the  Indians  in  the  Valley  of 

the  Upper  Ohio. 

In  carrying  out  this  purpose  he  has  endeavored  to  derive  his  informa- 
tion as  much  as  possible  from  original  sources,  and  from  the  best  authors 
on  the  subject.  Nor  has  he,  through  any  false  pride  of  originality,  failed 

j^     to  give  due  credit  to  the  proper  parties.     This  he  has  been  careful  to  do, 

>  either  by  quotation  marks,  and  giving  the  name  of  the  author  in  each 
particular  case,  or  by  stating  the  facts,  either  in  his  own  or  in  the  lan- 
guage of  others,  giving  proper  reference  to  the  source  of  his  information. 

x  In  most  cases  he  has  preferred  giving  the  precise  language  of  the  writer 
to  whom  he  refers.  He  has  not,  however,  deemed  it  his  duty  to  servilely 

Q  adopt  the  opinions  of  the  writers  to  whom  he  is  under  obligations ;  but 
in  every  case  where  he  has  had  occasion  to  differ  with  them  has  not  hesi- 

—     tated  to  express  his  own  views  with  the  utmost  freedom. 

<  Although  "  there  is  no  end  to  the  making  of  books,"  it  is  believed  that 
the  public  will  appreciate  this  effort  when  they  consider  that  most  of  the 
best  authorities  on  the  history  of  the  border  wars  between  the  whites  and 
the  Indians — especially  on  the  Upper  Ohio — are  now  entirely  out  of 
print,  or  the  comparatively  few  copies  of  those  interesting  works  which 
still  exist  are  inaccessible  to  the  general  reader. 

*LEGEND. — "Any  narrative,  memorial,  relation,  or  record," — Sleele. 

447178 
3 


4  PREFACE. 

It  has  been  deemed  advisable,  therefore,  to  collect  the  most  striking 
portion  of  those  narratives  into  a  more  permanent  form,  thereby  furnish- 
ing a  book  which,  owing  to  its  cheapness,  will  admit  of  very  general 
circulation  among  all  classes. 

The  wisdom  of  this  plan  will  appear  more  evident  when  it  is  consid- 
ered that  such  a  work  will  be  likely  to  prove  very  attractive  to  the 
young,  and,  if  put  into  their  hands  at  a  suitable  age,  would,  in  all  prob- 
ability, tend  to  awaken  in  their  minds  an  ardent  desire  to  know  some- 
thing more  of  their  own  particular  locality,  and  to  inspire  them  with  a 
thirst  for  a  more  general  knowledge  of  history,  not  only  of  their  own 
country,  but  of  foreign  nations,  both  ancient  and  modern. 

Commending  these  views  to  the  thoughtful  consideration  of  the  public, 
the  author  puts  forth  this  humble  effort,  hoping  that  the  book  will  ac- 
complish its  intended  mission  of  gf>od,  even  beyond  his  most  sanguine 
expectations. 

J.  H.  McM. 

2207  Chapline  Street,  Wheeling,  West  Va. 


I. 

THE  BATTLE  OF  POINT  PLEASANT 

Dunmore's  Treaty — Murder  of  Cornstalk. 


Battle  of  Point  Pleasant  took  place  in  Dunmore's  War,  Octo- 
ber  10th,  1774.  It  was  the  bloodiest  battle,  perhaps,  ever  fought  with 
the  Indians  in  Virginia.  It  had  its  origin  in  a  variety  of  causes, 
but  the  immediate,  exciting  cause,  and  that  which  more  than  all  others 
hastened  the  crisis,  undoubtedly  was  the  murder  of  the  family  of  Logan, 
by  the  whites,  at  or  near  the  mouth  of  Yellow  Creek.  This  disgraceful 
act  is,  by  some,  imputed  to  Colonel  Cresap,  a  distinguished  frontiersman, 
who  resided  near  the  town  of  Wheeling.  Logan,  at  least,  believed  him 
to  be  the  guilty  party.  By  others  it  is  strongly  denied  that  Colonel 
Cresap  was  a  participant  in  the  affair.  But,  be  this  as  it  may,  the  act,  in 
addition  to  other  exasperations,  had  greatly  incensed  the  Indian  tribes  on 
the  North  of  the  Ohio  River. 

The  most  powerful  of  these  tribes  were  the  Shawnee,  Delaware,  Min- 
go,  Wyandotte,  and  Cayuga,  at  the  head  of  whom  was  Cornstalk,  Sachem 
of  the  Shawnees,  and  King  of  the  Northern  Confederacy.  Under  this 
renowned  chieftain  were  other  chiefs  whose  names  were  not  unknown  to 
fame.  Such  as  Redhawk,  a  Delaware  chief;  Scoppathus,  a  Mingo ; 
Elinipsico,  a  Shawnee,  and  son  of  Cornstalk  ;  Chiyawee,  a  Wyandotte, 
and  Logan,  a  Cayuga,  but  generally  spoken  of  as  a  Miugo. 

To  protect  the  settlements  bordering  on  the  Upper  Ohio,  it  soon  be- 
came necessary  to  organize  an  army  in  the  East  sufficient  to  operate 
against  the  savages.  The  effort  to  do  this  proved  successful,  and  two 
bodies,  numbering  in  all  twenty-five  hundred  men,  were  collected. 

"The  army  destined  for  the  expedition  was  composed  of  volunteers 
and  militia,  chiefly  from  the  counties  west  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and  con- 
sisted of  two  divisions.  The  northern  division,  comprehending  the  troops 
collected  in  Frederick,  Dunmore,  (now  Shenandoah),  and  the  adjacent 
counties,  was  to  be  commanded  by  Lord  Dunmore  in  person  ;  and  the 


6  LEGENDS  OP  THE  VALLEY. 

southern,  comprising  the  different  companies  raised  in  Bottetourt,  Au- 
gusta, and  the  adjoining  counties  east  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  was  to  be  led  on 
by  General  Andrew  Lewis.  These  two  divisions,  proceeding  by  different 
routes,  were  to  form  a  junction  at  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Kanawha,  and 
from  thence  penetrate  the  country  north  west  of  the  Ohio  River,  as  far  as 
the  season  would  permit,  and  destroy  all  the  Indian  towns  and  villages 
they  could  reach. 

"  About  the  1st  of  September  the  troops  placed  under  the  command  of 
General  Lewis  rendezvoused  at  Camp  Union  (Lewisburg),  and  consisted 
of  two  regiments,  commanded  by  Colonel  William  Fleming  of  Botte- 
tourt, and  Colonel  Charles  Lewis,  (brother  of  General  Lewis),  of  Au- 
gusta, containing  about  four  hundred  men  each.  At  Camp  Union  they 
were  joined  by  an  independent  volunteer  company,  under  Colonel  Field, 
of  Culpeper  ;  a  company  from  Bedford,  under  Captain  Buford,  and  two 
from  Holstein  Settlement,  (now  Washington  county),  under  Captains 
Evans,  Shelby  and  Harbert.  These  three  latter  companies  were  part  of 
the  forces  to  be  led  on  by  Colonel  Christian,  who  was  likewise  to  join  the 
two  main  divisions  of  the  army  at  Point  Pleasant  as  soon  as  the  other 
companies  could  be  assembled.  The  force  under  General  Lewi*,  having 
been  thus  augmented  to  eleven  hundred  men,  commenced  its  march  for 
the  mouth  of  the  Kanawha,  on  the  llth  of  September,  1774. 

"  From  Camp  Union  to  the  point  proposed  for  the  junction  of  the 
northern  and  southern  divisions  of  the  army,  a  distance  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  miles,  the  intermediate  country  was  a  trackless  forest — so  rug- 
ged and  mountainous  as  to  render  the  progress  of  the  army  at  once  tedi- 
ous and  laborious.  Under  the  guidance  of  Captain  Mathew  Arbuckle 
they,  however,  succeeded  in  reaching  the  Ohio  River,  after  a  march  of 
nineteen  days,  and  fixed  their  encampment  on  the  point  of  land  immedi- 
ately between  that  river  and  the  Big  Kanawha,  The  provisions  and 
ammunition,  transported  on  pack  mules,  and  the  beeves  and  droves  ar- 
rived soon  after. 

"  When  the  southern  division  arrived  at  Point  Pleasant,  Governor 
Dunmore,  with  the  forces  under  his  command,  had  not  reached  there, 
and,  unable  to  account  for  his  failure  to  form  the  preconcerted  junction 
at  that  place,  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  await  that  event,  and  by  so  do- 
ing a  better  opportunity  would  be  afforded  to  Colonel  Christian  of  coming 
up  with  that  portion  of  the  army  which  was  then  with  him.  Meanwhile, 
General  Lewis,  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  delay  of  the  northern  division, 
dispatched  runners  by  land  in  the  direction  of  Fort  Pitt,  to  obtain  tidings 
of  Lord  Dunmore,  and  to  communicate  them  to  him  immediately.  In 
their  absence,  however,  advices  were  received  from  his  lordship  that  he 
had  determined  on  proceeding  across  the  country  directly  to  the  Shawnee 
towns,  and  ordering  General  Lewis  to  cross  the  river,  march  forward 


THE  BATTLE  OF  POINT  PLEASANT.  7 

and  form  a  junction  with  him  near  to  them.  These  advices  were  re- 
ceived on  the  9th  of  October,  and  preparations  were  immediately  com- 
menced for  the  transportation  of  the  troops  over  the  Ohio  River. 

"Early  on  the  morning  of  Monday,  the  tenth  of  that  month,  two  sol- 
diers left  the  camp  and  proceeded  up  the  Ohio  River  in  quest  of  deer. 
When  they  had  progressed  about  two  miles  they  unexpectedly  came  in 
sight  of  a  large  number  of  Indians  rising  from  their  encampment,  and 
who,  discovering  the  hunters,  fired  upon  them  and  killed  one;  the  other 
escaped  unhurt,  and,  running  briskly  to  the  camp,  communicated  the  in- 
telligence '  that  he  had  seen  a  body  of  the  enemy,  covering  four  acres  of 
ground  as  closely  as  they  could  stand  by  the  side  of  each  other.'  The  main 
part  of  the  army  was  immediately  ordered  out  under  Colonels  Lewis  and 
Wm.  Fleming,  and,  having  formed  into  two  lines,they  proceeded  about  four 
hundred  yards,  when  they  met  the  Indians,  and  the  action  commenced. 

"  At  the  first  onset,  Colonel  Charles  Lewis  having  fallen,  and  Colonel 
Fleming  being  wounded,  both  lines  gave  way,  and  were  retreating  brisk- 
ly toward  the  camp,  when  they  were  met  by  a  reinforcement  under  Col- 
onel Field  and  rallied.  The  engagement  then  became  general,  and  was 
sustained  by  the  most  obstinate  fury  on  both  sides.  The  Indians,  per- 
ceiving that  the  "  tug  of  war  "  had  come,  and  determined  on  affording 
the  colonial  army  no  chance  of  escape,  if  victory  should  declare  for  them, 
formed  a  line  extending  across  the  point  from  the  Ohio  to  the  Kanawha, 
and  protected  in  front  by  logs  and  fallen  timber.  In  this  situation  they 
maintained  the  contest  with  unabated  vigor  from  sunrise  till  toward  the 
close  of  evening — bravely  and  successfully  resisting  every  charge  which 
was  made  on  them,  and  withstanding  the  impetuosity  of  every  onset 
with  the  most  invincible  firmness,  until  a  fortunate  movement  on  the 
part  of  the  Virginia  troops  decided  the  day. 

"  Some  short  distance  above  the  entrance  of  the  Kanawha  River  into 
the  Ohio  there  is  a  stream  called  Crooked  Creek,  emptying  into  the 
former  of  these  from  the  northeast,  whose  banks  are  tolerably  high,  and 
were  then  covered  with  a  thick  and  luxuriant  growth  of  weeds.  Seeing 
the  impracticability  of  dislodging  the  Indians  by  the  most  vigorous  at- 
tack, and  sensible  of  the  great  danger  which  must  arise  to  his  army  if  the 
contest  were  not  decided  before  night,  General  Lewis  detached  the  three 
companies  which  were  commanded  by  Captains  Isaac  Shelby,  George 
Mathews  and  John  Stuart,  with  orders  to  proceed  up  the  Kanawha  Riv- 
er and  Crooked  Creek,  under  cover  of  the  banks  and  weeds,  till  they 
could  pass  some  distance  beyond  the  enemy,  when  they  were  to  emerge 
from  their  covert,  march  downward  toward  the  point,  and  attack  the  In- 
dians in  the  rear.  The  manoeuvre  thus  planned  was  promptly  executed, 
and  gave  a  decided  victory  to  the  colonial  army.  The  Indians  finding 
themselves  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  encompassed  between  two  armies, 


8  LEGENDS  OP  THE  VALLEY. 

and  not  doubting  but  in  their  rear  was  the  looked  for  reinforcement  un- 
der Colonel  Christian,  soon  gave  way,  and  about  sun  down  commenced 
a  precipitate,  retreat  across  the  Ohio,  to  the  towns  on  the  Scioto.  The 
victory,  indeed,  was  decisive,  and  many  advantages  were  obtained  by  it ; 
but  they  were  not  cheaply  bought.  The  Virginia  army  sustained  in  this 
engagement  a  loss  of  seventy-five  killed,  and  one  hundred  and  forty 
wounded — about  one-fifth  of  the  entire  number  of  troops. 

"Among  the  slain  were  Colonels  Lewis  and  Field  ,  Captains  Buford, 
Morrow,  Wood,  CundifF,  Wilson  and  Robert  McClanahan,  and  Lieu- 
tenants Allen,  Goldsby  and  Dillon,  with  some  other  subalterns.  The 
loss  of  the  enemy  could  not  be  ascertained.  On  the  morning  after  the 
action,  Colonel  Christian,  who  had  arrived  after  the  battle  ended, 
marched  his  men  over  the  battle-ground,  and  found  twenty-one  of  the 
Indians  lying  dead  ;  and  twelve  others  were  afterwards  discovered,  where 
they  had  been  concealed  under  some  old  logs  and  brush. 

"  From  the  great  facility  with  which  the  Indians  either  carry  off"  or 
conceal  their  dead,  it  is  always  difficult  to  ascertain  the  number  of  their 
slain ;  and  hence  arises,  in  some  measure,  the  disparity  between  their 
known  loss  and  that  sustained  by  their  opponents  in  battle.  Other  reasons 
for  this  disparity  are  to  be  found  in  their  peculiar  mode  of  warfare,  and  in 
the  fact  that  they  rarely  continue  a  contest  when  it  has  to  be  maintained 
with  the  loss  of  their  warriors.  It  would  not  be  easy  otherwise  to  ac- 
count for  the  circumstance,  that  even  when  signally  vanquished,  the  list  of 
their  slain  does  not,  frequently,  appear  more  than  half  as  great  as  that 
of  their  victors.  In  this  particular  instance,  many  of  the  dead  were 
certainly  thrown  into  the  river. 

"  Nor  could  the  number  of  the  enemy  engaged  be  ever  ascertained. 
Their  army  is  known  to  have  been  composed  of  warriors  from  the  dif- 
ferent nations  north  of  the  Ohio,  and  to  have  composed  the  flower  of  the 
tribes  already  mentioned.  The  distinguished  chief  and  consummate 
warrior,  Cornstalk,  who  commanded  their  forces,  proved  himself  on  that 
day  to  be  justly  entitled  to  the  prominent  station  which  he  occupied. 
His  plan  of  alternate  retreat  and  attack  was  well  conceived,  and  occa- 
sioned the  principal  loss  sustained  by  the  whites.  If  at  any  time  his 
warriors  were  believed  to  waver,  his  voice  could  be  heard  above  the  din 
of  arms,  exclaiming  in  his  native  tongue  :  '  Be  strong  !  be  strong ! '  and 
when  one  near  him,  by  trepidation  and  reluctance  to  proceed  to  the 
charge,  evinced  a  dastardly  disposition,  fearing  the  example  might  have 
a  pernicious  influence,  with  one  blow  of  the  tomahawk  he  severed  his 
skull.  It  was,  perhaps,  a  solitary  instance  in  which  terror  predom- 
inated. Never  did  men  exhibit  a  more  conclusive  evidence  of  bravery 
in  making  a  charge,  and  fortitude  in  withstanding  an  onset,  than  did 
these  undisciplined  soldiers  of  the  forest  in  the  field  at  Point  Pleasant. 


THE  BATTLE  OP  POINT  PLEASANT.  9 

Such,  too,  was  the  good  conduct  of  those  who  composed  the  army  of  Vir- 
ginia on  that  occasion,  and  such  the  noble  bravery  of  the  many,  that 
high  expectations  were  entertained  of  their  future  distinction.  Nor  were 
those  expectations  disappointed.  In  the  various  scenes  through  which 
they  subsequently  passed,  the  pledge  of  eminence  then  given  was  fully 
redeemed,  and  the  names  of  Shelby,  Campbell,  Mathews,  Fleming, 
Moore  and  others,  their  compatriots  in  arms  on  the  memorable  10th  of 
October,  1774,  have  been  inscribed  in  brilliant  characters  on  the  roll  of 
fame. 

"  Having  buried  the  deaJ,and  made  every  arrangement  of  which  their 
situation  admitted  for  the  comfort  of  the  wounded,  intrenchments  were 
thrown  up,  and  the  army  commenced  its  march  to  form  a  junction  with 
the  northern  division,  under  Lord  Dunmore.  Proceeding  by  the  way  of 
the  Salt  Licks,  General  Lewis  pressed  forward  with  astonishing  rapidity, 
(considering  that  the  march  was  though  a  trackless  desert),  but  before 
he  had  gone  far,  an  express  arrived  from  Dunmore  with  orders  to 
return  immediately  to  the  mouth  of  the  Big  Kanawha.  Suspecting  the 
integrity  of  his  Lordship's  motives,  and  urged  by  the  advice  of  his 
officers  generally,  General  Lewis  refused  to  obey  these  orders,  and  con- 
tinued to  advance  till  he  was  met,  (at  Kilkenny  Creek,  and  in  sight  of  an 
Indian  villiage,  which  its  inhabitants  had  just  fired  and  deserted),  by  the 
Governor,  accompanied  by  White  Eyes,  who  informed  him  that  he  was 
negotiating  a  treaty  of  peace,  which  would  supercede  the  necessity  of  the 
further  movement  of  the  Southern  division,  and  repeated  the  order  for 
his  return. 

"  The  army  under  General  Lewis  had  endured  many  privations  and 
suffered  many  hardships.  They  had  encountered  a  savage  enemy  in 
great  force,  and  purchased  a  victory  with  the  blood  of  their  friends. 
When  they  arrived  near  the  goal  of  their  anxious  wishes,  and  with 
nothing  to  prevent  the  accomplishment  of  the  object  of  their  campaign" — 
that  is,  to  inflict  summary  chastisement  on  the  Indian  tribes — "they  re- 
ceived those  orders  with  evident  chagrin,  and  did  not  obey  them  without 
murmuring.  Having,  at  his  own  request,  been  introduced  severally  to 
the  officers  of  that  division,  complimenting  them  for  their  gallantry  and 
good  conduct  in  the  late  engagement,  and  assuring  them  of  his  high 
esteem,  Lord  Dunmore  returned  to  his  camp,  and  General  Lewis  com- 
menced his  retrograde  movement." —  Withers. 

On  his  arrival  at  Point  Pleasant,  General  Lewis  left  a  sufficient  force 
to  protect  the  place,  and  a  supply  of  provisions  for  the  wounded,  and 
then  led  the  balance  of  the  division  to  the  place  of  rendezvous,  (Lewis- 
burg),  and  disbanded  them. 


10  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

"UW»>"  "-     ' 

LORD  DUNMORE'S  TREATY  WITH  THE  INDIANS. 

On  his  return  to  Camp  Charlotte,*  Lord  Dunmore  concluded  a 
treaty  with  the  Indians.  "The  chief  speaker  on  the  part  of  the  Indians 
was  Cornstalk,  who  openly  charged  the  whites  with  being  the  sole  cause  of 
the  war,  enumerating  the  many  provocations  which  the  Indians  had  re- 
ceived, and  dwelling  with  great  force  and  emphasis  upon  the  diabolical 
murder  of  Logan's  family.  This  great  chief  spoke  in  the  most  vehement 
and  denunciatory  style.  His  loud,  clear  voice  was  distinctly  heard 
throughout  the  camp.  Cornstalk,  had  from  the  first,  opposed  the  war 
with  the  whites,  and  when  his  scouts  reported  the  advance  of  General 
Lewis'  division  the  sagacious  chief  did  all  he  could  to  restrain  his  men 
and  keep  them  from  battle.  But  all  his  remonstrances  were  in  vain,  and 
it  was  then  he  told  them,  'As  you  are  determined  to  fight,  you  shall 
fight.'  After  their  defeat  and  return  home,  a  council  was  convened  to 
determine  upon  what  was  next  to  be  done.  The  stern  old  chief  rising, 
said,  '  What  shall  we  do  now  ?  The  Lougknives  are  coming  upon  us  by 
two  routes.  Shall  we  turn  out  and  fight  them  ?'  No  response  being 
made,  he  continued,  'Shall  we  kill  all  our  squaws  and  children,  and  then 
fight  until  we  are  killed  ourselves?'  Still  the  congregated  wariors  were 
silent,  and  after  a  moment's  hesitation,  Cornstalk  struck  his  tomahawk 
into  the  war  post,  aud  with  compressed  lips  and  flashing  eye,gazed  around 
the  assembled  group,  then  with  great  emphasis  spoke,  'Since  you  are 
not  inclined  to  fight,  I  will  go  and  make  peace.'  Colonel  Wilson,  who 
was  present  at  the  interview  between  Cornstalk  and  Lord  Dunmore  thus 
speaks  of  the  chieftain's  bearing  :  "When  he  arose  he  was  in  nowise  con- 
fused or  daunted,  but  spoke  in  a  distinct  and  audible  voice,  without 
stammering  or  repitition,  and  with  peculiar  emphasis.  His  looks  while 
addressing  Dunmore  were  truly  grand  and  majestic,  yet  graceful  and 
attractive.  I  have  heard  the  first  orators  in  Virginia,  Patrick  Henry 
and  Richard  Henry  Lee,  but  never  have  I  heard  one  whose  powers  of 
delivery  surpassed  those  of  Cornstalk." — Colonel  Wilson. 

"But  there  was  one  who  would  not  attend  the  camp  of  Lord  Dun« 
more,  and  that  was  Logan.  The  Mingo  Chief  felt  the  chill  of  despair  at 
his  heart ;  his  very  soul  seemed  frozen  within  him  ;  and  although  he 
would  not  interpose  obstacles  to  an  amicable  adjustment  of  existing 
difficulties,  still  he  could  not  meet  the  Long-Knives  in  council  as  if  no 
terrible  stain  of  blood  rested  upon  their  hands.  He  remained  at  a  dis- 

*Camp  Charlotte  is  said  to  have  been  on  Sippo  Creek,  about  eight  miles  from  the 
town  of  Westfall.  The  present  writer,  in  1862,  was  on  the  spot  where  tradition  says 
the  above  named  treaty  was  executed.  It  was  under  a  large,  wide-spreading  elm 
tree,  whose  trunk  at  the  base  was  ten  feet  in  diameter,  and  whose  branches,  from  out 
to  out,  were  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  in  circumference.  It  is  presumed  to 
be  still  standing  (1877),  and,  if  so,  may  be  seen  on  the  farm  of  James  Boggs,  Esq., 
about  twelve  miles  north  of  Chillicothe,  and  two  miles  east  of  the  fccioto  river. 


DUNMORE'S  TREATY.  11 

tance,  brooding  in  melancholy  silence  over  his  accumulated  wrongs  dur- 
ing most  of  the  time  his  friends  were  negotiating.  But  Dunmore  felt  the 
importance  of  at  least  securing  his  assent;  and  for  that  purpose  sent  a 
special  messenger,  Colonel  John  Gibson,  who  waited  upon  the  chief  at  his 
wigwam. 

"The  messenger  in  due  time  returned,  bringing  with  him  the  celebrated 
speech  which  has  given  its  author  an  immortality  almost  as  imperish- 
able as  that  of  the  great  Athenian  orator. 

"It  is  due  perhaps,  in  candor,  to  state  that  the  authenticity  of  this 
celebrated  speech  has  been  questioned. — De  Hass. 

The  sentiments  of  the  celebrated  speech  to  which  the  above  author 
refers,  may  be,  and  perhaps,  ought  to  be  imputed  to  Logan  ;  but  to  be- 
lieve that  an  untutored  savage  should  be  able  thus  to  excel  in  the 
rhetorical  art,  requires  a  credulity  that  does  not  ordinarily,  at  least,  fall 
to  the  lot  of  cultivated  minds.  It  was  probably  prepared  by  Colonel  John 
Gibson,  and  polished  either  by  himself,  or  some  one  else  skilled  in  the 
art  of  composition.  Its  authorship  has  been  ascribed  to  Mr.  Jefferson. 
But  after  reading  the  highly  eulogistic  terms  in  which  that  gentleman 
speaks  ot  it,  one  would  hardly  suppose  that  it  could  have  been  written  by 
him.  He  says,  "I  may  challenge  the  whole  orations  of  Demosthenes  and 
Cicero,  and  of  any  more  eminent  orator,  (if  Europe  has  furnished  a  more 
eminent),  to  produce  a  single  passage  superior  to  it."  This  would  be  rather 
too  much  for  any  modest  rhetorician  to  say  of  his  own  performance.  It 
may  be  added  that  Dewitt  Clinton  endorsed  the  opinion  expressed  by  Mr. 
Jefferson. 

But  that  the  intelligent  reader  may  judge  for  himself,  the  speech  of 
Logan,  as  found  in  "Jefferson's  Notes,"  is  given  below  : 

"I  appeal,"  said  he  "to  any  white  man  to  say  if  he  ever  entered, Logan's 
cabin  hungry,  and  he  gave  him  not  meat ;  if  ever  he  came  cold  and 
naked,  and  he  clothed  him  not.  During  the  course  of  the  last  long  and 
bloody  war,  Logan  remained  idle  in  his  cabin,  and  advocated  peace. 
Such  was  my  love  for  the  whites,  that  my  countrymen  pointed  as  they 
passed,  and  said,  'Logan  is  the  friend  of  the  white  man.'  I  had  even 
thought  to  live  with  you,  but  for  the  injuries  of  one  man.  Colonel 
Cresap,  the  last  spring,  in  cold  blood  and  unprovoked,  murdered  all  the 
relations  of  Logan,  not  even  sparing  my  women  and  children.  There 
runs  not  a  drop  of  my  blood  in  the  veins  of  any  living  creature.  This 
called  on  me  for  revenge.  I  have  sought  it;  I  have  killed  many;  I 
have  fully  glutted  my  vengeance.  For  my  country,  I  rejoice  at  the  beams 
of  peace  ;  but  do  not  harbor  the  thought  that  mine  is  the  joy  of  fear.  Lo- 
gan never  felt  fear.  He  will  not  turn  on  his  heel  to  save  his  life.  Who 
is  there  to  mourn  for  Logan  ?  Not  one." 

"The  Mingos,"  as  appears  from  the  American  Archives,  "were  not  par- 
ties to  the  peace  of  Fort  Charlotte ;  "  but  became  active  participants  in 


12  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

the  bloody  scenes  which  took  place  when  the  Indians  were  employed  as 
allies  by  the  British,  after  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  War. 
How  far  Logan  himself  was  a  participant  in  these  scenes  we  do  not  now 
recollect  to  have  learned  ;  but  there  can  be  but  little  doubt  that  he  con- 
tinued his  hostility  to  the  whites  to  the  day  of  his  death,  the  manner  and 
time  of  which  we  are  not  now  prepared  to  state. 

The  conduct  of  Lord  Dunmore,  in  effecting  the  peace  of  Camp  Char- 
lotte, was  suspected  at  the  time,  and  is  generally  believed  at  the  present 
day,  to  have  been  treacherous  to  the  colonies,  and  in  the  interest  of  Great 
Britain.  But  the  charge  of  treasonable  design,  although  plausible  in 
part,  is  not  fully  sustained  by  facts  and  circumstances.  The  writer 
would  prefer,  therefore,  to  dismiss  the  subject  from  further  discussion,  as 
involving  a  question  incapable  of  satisfactory  solution. 

THE    MURDER   OF   CORNSTALK. 

"  In  the  year  1777,  the  Indians  being  urged  by  British  agents,  became 
very  troublesome  to  the  frontier  settlements,  manifesting  much  appear- 
ance of  hostility,  when  Cornstalk,  the  warrior,  with  Redhawk,  paid  a  visit 
to  the  garrison  at  Point  Pleasant.  He  made  no  secret  of  the  disposition 
of  the  Indians,  declaring  that,  on  his  own  part,  he  was  opposed  to  joining 
in  the  war  on  the  side  of  the  British,  but  that  all  the  nations,  except  him- 
self and  his  own  tribe,  were  determined  to  engage  in  it,  and  that,  of 
course,  he  and  his  tribe  would  have  to  run  with  the  stream. 

"  On  this  Captain  Arbuckie  thought  proper  to  detain  him,  Redhawk, 
and  another  fellow,  as  hostages  to  prevent  the  nation  from  joining  the 
British. 

"  In  the  course  of  that  summer  our  Government  had  ordered  an  army 
to  be  raised,  of  volunteers,  to  serve  under  the  command  of  General  Hand, 
who  was  to  have  collected  a  number  of  tro  >ps  at  Fort  Pitt,  with  them 
descend  the  river  to  Point  Pleasant,  there  to  meet  a  reinforcement  of  vol- 
unteers expected  to  be  raised  in  Augusta  and  Bottetourt  counties,  and 
then  proceed  to  the  Shawnee  towns  and  chastise  them,  so  as  to  compel 
them  to  neutrality.  Hand  did  not  succeed  in  the  collection  of  troops 
at  Fort  Pitt,  and  but  three  or  four  companies  were  raised  in  Augusta 
and  Bottetourt,  which  were  under  the  command  of  Colonel  George  Skill- 
ern,  who  ordered  me  "  (Stuart)  "  to  use  my  endeavors  to  raise  all  the 
volunteers  I  could  in  Greenbrier  for  that  service.  The  people  had  begun 
to  see  the  difficulties  attending  on  a  state  of  war  and  long  campaigns  car- 
ried through  wildernesses,  and  but  a  few  were  willing  to  engage  in  such 
service.  But  as  the  settlements  which  we  covered,  though  less  exposed 
to  the  depredations  of  the  Indians,  had  showed  their  willingness  to  aid 
in  the  proposed  plan  to  chastise  the  Indians,  and  had  raised  three  com- 
panies, I  was  very  desirous  of  doing  all  I  could  to  promote  the  business 


THE  MURDER  OF  CORNSTALK.  13 

and  aid  the  service.  I  used  the  utmost  endeavors  and  proposed  to  the 
militia  officers  to  volunteer  ourselves,  which  would  be  an  encouragement 
to  others,  and  by  such  means  to  raise  all  the  men  who  could  be  got.  The 
chief  of  the  officers  in  Greenbrier  agreed  to  the  proposal,  and  we  cast  lots 
who  should  command  the  company.  The  lot  fell  on  Andrew  Hamilton, 
for  captain,  and  William  Renick,  lieutenant.  We  collected  in  all  about 
forty,  and  joined  Colonel  Skillern's  party  on  their  way  to  Point  Pleasant. 

"  When  we  arrived,  there  was  no  account  of  General  Hand  or  his  ar- 
my, and  little  or  no  provision  made  to  support  our  troops  other  than  what 
we  bad  taken  with  us  down  the  Kanawha.  We  found,  too,  that  the  gar- 
rison was  unable  to  spare  us  any  supplies;  but  we  concluded  to  wait  as 
long  as  we  could  for  the  arrival  of  General  Hand,  or  some  account  of 
him.  During  our  stay  two  young  men,  of  the  names  of  Hamilton  and 
Gilmore,  went  over  the  Kanawha  one  day  to  hunt  for  deer.  On  their 
return  to  camp  some  Indians  had  concealed  themselves  on  the  bank  among 
the  weeds,  to  view  our  encampment,  and,  as  Gilmore  came  along  past 
them,  they  fired  on  him  and  killed  him  on  the  bank. 

"  Captain  Arbuckle  and  myself  were  standing  on  the  opposite  bank 
when  the  gun  fired,  and  while  we  were  considering  who  it  could  be  shoot- 
ing, contrary  to  orders,  or  what  they 'were  doing  over  the  river,  we  saw 
Hamilton  run  down  the  bank,  who  called  out  that  Gilmore  was  killed. 
Gilmore  was  one  of  the  company  of  Captain  John  Hall,  of  that  part  of 
the  country  now  Rockbridge  county.  The  Captain  was  a  relation  of 
Gilmore's,  whose  family  and  friends  were  chiefly  cut  off  by  the  Indians 
in  the  year  1763,  when  Greenbrier  was  cut  off  Hall's  men  instantly 
jumped  into  a  canoe  and  went  to  the  relief  of  Hamilton,  who  was  standing 
in  momentary  expectation  of  being  put  to  death.  They  brought  the  corpse 
of  Gilmore  down  the  bank,  covered  with  blood  and  scalped,  and  put  him 
into  the  canoe.  As  they  were  passing  the  river  I  observed  to  Captain 
Arbuckle  that  the  people  would  be  for  killing  the  hostages  as  soon  as  the 
canoe  should  land.  He  supposed  they  would  not  offer  to  commit  so  great 
a  violence  upon  the  innocent,  who  were  in  no  wise  accessory  to  the  mur- 
der of  Gilrnore.  But  the  canoe  had  scarcely  touched  the  shore  until  the 
cry  was  raised,  '  Let  us  kill  the  Indians  in  the  fort,'  and  every  man,  with 
gun  in  hand,  came  up  the  bank  full  of  rage.  Captain  Hall  was  at  their 
head,  and  lead  them.  Captain  Arbuckle  and  I  met  them,  and  endeav- 
ored to  dissuade  them  from  so  unjustifiable  an  action  ;  but  they  cocked 
their  guns,  threatened  us  with  instant  death  if  we  did  not  desist,  rushed 
by  us  into  the  fort,  and  put  the  Indians  to  death. 

"  On  the  preceding  day  Cornstalk's  son,  Elinipsico,  had  coine  from  the 
nation  to  see  his  father,  and  to  know  if  he  was  well  or  alive.  When  he 
came  to  the  river,  opposite  the  fort,  he  hallooed.  His  father  was  at  that 
instant  in  the  act  of  delineating,  at  our  request,  with  chalk  on  the  floor,  a 


14  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

map  of  the  country,  and  the  waters  between  the  Shawanee  towns  and  the 
Mississippi.  He  immediately  recognized  the  voice  of  his  son,  got  up, 
went  out,  and  answered  him  The  young  fellow  crossed  over,  and  they 
embraced  each  other  in  the  most  tender  and  affectionate  manner.  The 
interpreter's  wife,  who  had  been  a  prisoner  among  the  Indians,  and  had 
recently  left  them,  on  hearing  the  uproar  the  next  day,  and  hearing  the 
men  threatening  that  thev  would  kill  the  Indians,  for  whom  she  retained 
much  affection,  ran  to  their  cabin  and  informed  them  that  the  people 
were  just  coming  to  kill  them  ;  and  that,  because  the  Indians  who  killed 
Gilmore  had  come  with  Elinipsico  the  day  before.  He  utterly  denied  it, 
declared  that  he  knew  nothing  of  them,  and  trembled  exceedingly.  His 
father  encouraged  him  not  to  be  afraid,  for  that  the  Great  Man  above  had 
sent  him  there  to  be  killed  and  die  with  him.  As  the  men  advanced  to 
the  door  Cornstalk  rose  up  and  met  them.  They  fired  upon  him,  and 
seven  or  eight  bullets  went  through  him.  So  fell  Cornstaik,  the  great 
warrior,  whose  name  was  bestowed  upon  him  by  the  consent  of  the  na- 
tion, as  their  great  strength  and  support.  His  son  was  shot  dead  as  he 
sat  upon  a  stool.  Redbawk  made  an  attempt  to  go  up  the  chimney,  but 
was  shot  down.  The  other  Indian  was  shamefully  mangled,  and  I  erriev- 
ed  to  see  him  so  long  in  the  agonies  of  death. 

"  Cornstalk,  from  personal  appearance  and  many  brave  acts,  was  un- 
doubtedly a  hero.  Had  he  been  spared  to  live,  I  believe  he  would  have 
been  friendly  to  the  American  cause  ;  for  nothing  could  have  induced 
him  to  make  his  visit  to  the  garrison  at  the  critical  time  he  did  but  to 
communicate  to  them  the  temper  and  disposition  of  the  Indians,  and  their 
design  of  taking  part  with  the  British.  On  the  day  he  was  killed  we 
held  a  council  at  which  he  was  present.  His  countenance  was  dejected, 
and  he  made  a  speech,  all  of  which  seemed  to  indicate  an  honest  and 
manly  disposition.  He  seemed  to  be  impressed 

with  an  awful  premonition  of  his  approaching  fate,  for  he  repeatedly  said  : 
'  When  I  was  a  young  man  and  went  to  war,  I  thought  that  might  be  the 
last  time,  and  I  would  return  no  more.  Now  I  am  here  among  you. 
You  may  kill  me  if  you  please.  I  can  die  but  once,  and  it  is  all  one  to 
me,  now  or  another  time.'  This  declaration  concluded  every  sentence  of 
his  speech.  He  was  killed  about  one  hour  after  our  council." — Colonel 
John  Stuart. 

The  murder  of  Cornstalk  and  his  party,  of  course,  produced  its  natural 
effect,  deciding  the  wavering  Shawnees  to  join  the  other  tribes,  as  allies 
of  the  British,  and  converting  them  as  possible  friends  of  the  American 
cause,  into  the  most  bitter  and  relentless  enemies. 


II. 


THE  SEIGE  OF  FORT  HENRY; 

Gunpowder  Exploit-MeCulloeh's  Leap-His  Death, 


JHE  "  most  important  event  in  the  history  of  Wheeling  was  the  siege 
of  Fort  Henry,  near  the  mouth  of  Wheeling  Creek,  in  September, 
1777.  The  bravery  and  perseverance  of  the  little  band  who  de- 
fended it  against  more  than  thirty  times  their  number  of  savages,  led  on 
by  the  notorious  Simon  Girty,*  was  such  as  to  rank  it  among  the  most 
memorable  events  in  border  warfare." — Howe. 

"  Fort  Henry  stood  immediately  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Ohio  River, 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  above  Wheeling  Creek,  * 
The  savages,  variously  estimated  at  380  to  500  warriors,  having  been 
abundantly  supplied  with  arms  and  provisions  by  the  British  Governor 
(Hamilton)  at  Detroit,  and  led  on  by  Simon  Girty,  were  brought  before 
the  walls  of  Fort  Henry  before  Colonel  Shepherd,  the  commandant,  knew 
of  their  real  design.  Some  symptoms  of  their  proximity  having  been  dis- 
covered, the  settlers  of  the  vicinity  had,  the  night  previous,  sought  shel- 
ter within  the  fort. 

"  The  garrison  numbered  only  42  fighting  men,  all  told,  counting  those 
advanced  in  years  as  well  as  those  who  were  mere  boys.  A  portion  of 
them  were  skilled  in  Indian  warfare,  and  all  were  excellent  marksmen. 
The  storehouse  was  amply  supplied  with  muskets,  but  was  sadly  deficient 
in  amunition. 

"  The  next  morning  Colonel  Shepherd  dispatched  a  man,  accompanied 
by  a  negro,  on  an  errand  a  short  distance  from  the  fort.  The  white  man 

*This  Simon  Girty  was  a  renegade  white  man,  who,  for  some  unknown  cause,  had 
taken  offense  against  his  own  people,  and  for  the  purpose  of  revenge  had  allied  him- 
self with  the  British  cause.  After  the  murder  of  Cornstalk,  at  Point  Pleasant,  the 
Indians  seemed  to  be  without  a  prominent  leader,  and,  for  the  time  being,  it  would 
appear  that  Girty  had  been  assigned  to  the  chief  command  of  the  Indian  tribes;  at  all 
events,  in  conducting  the  siege  of  Fort  Henry. 


16  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

fell  by  a  blow  from  the  fire-lock  of  an  Indian  ;  but  the  negro  escaped 
back  to  the  fort,  and  gave  information  that  they  had  been  waylaid  by  a 
party  of  Indians  in  a  cornfield, 

"  As  soon  as  the  negro  related  his  story  the  Colonel  dispatched  Captain 
Samuel  Mason,  with  fourteen  men,  to  dislodge  the  Indians  from  the  field. 
Captain  Mason,  with  his  party,  marched  through  the  field,  and  arrived 
almost  on  the  bank  of  the  creek  without  finding  the  Indians,  and  had  al- 
ready commenced  a  retrograde  movement  when  he  was  suddenly  and 
furiously  assailed  in  front,  flank  and  rear  by  the  whole  of  Girty's  army. 
The  Captain  rallied  his  men  from  the  confusion  produced  by  this  unex- 
pected demonstration  of  the  enemy,  and  instantly  comprehending  the  sit- 
uation in  which  he  was  placed,  gallantly  took  the  lead  and  hewed  a  pas- 
sage through  the  savage  phalanx  that  opposed  him.  In  this  desperate 
conflict  more  than  half  the  little  band  were  slain  and  their  leader  se- 
verely wounded.  Intent  on  retreating  back  to  the  fort,  Mason  pressed 
rapidly  on  with  the  remnant  of  his  command,  the  Indians  following 
closely  in  pursuit.  One  by  one  these  devoted  soldiers  fell  at  the  crack 
of  the  enemy's  rifle.  An  Indian  who  pursued  Captain  Mason  at  length 
overtook  him,  and,  to  make  sure  of  his  prey,  fired  at  him  from  the  dis- 
tance of  five  paces,  but  the  shot,  though  it  took  effect,  did  not  disable  the 
Captain,  who  immediately  turned  about,  and,  hurling  his  gun  at  the 
head  of  his  pursuer,  felled  him  to  the  earth.  The  fearlessness  with  which 
this  act  was  performed  caused  an  involuntary  dispersion  of  the  gang  of  In- 
dians who  led  the  pursuit ;  and  Mason,  whose  extreme  exhaustion  of  phy- 
sical powers  prevented  him  from  reaching  the  fort,  was  fortunate  enough 
to  hide  himself  in  a  pile  of  fallen  timber,  where  he  was  compelled  to  re- 
remain  to  the  end  of  the  siege.  Only  two  of  his  men  survived  the  skirm- 
ish, and  they,  like  their  leader,  owed  their  safety  to  the  heaps  of  logs 
and  brush  that  abounded  in  the  cornfield. 

"  As  soon  as  the  critical  situation  of  Captain  Mason  became  known  at 
the  fort,  Captain  Ogle,  with  twelve  volunteers  from  the  garrison,  sallied 
forth  to  cover  his  retreat.  This  noble,  self-devoted  band,  in  their  eager- 
ness to  press  forward  to  the  relief  of  their  suffering  fellow  soldiers,  fell  into 
an  ambuscade,  and  two-thirds  of  their  number  were  slain  upon  the  spot. 
Sergeant  Jacob  Ogle,  though  mortally  wounded,  managed  to  escape  with 
two  soldiers  into  the  woods,  while  Captain  Ogle  escaped  in  another  direc- 
tion, and  found  a  place  of  concealment,  which,  like  his  brother  officer, 
Captain  Mason,  he  was  obliged  to  keep  as  long  as  the  seige  continued. 
Immediately  after  the  departure  of  Captain  Ogle's  command,  three  new 
volunteers  left  the  garrison  to  overtake  and  reinforce  him.  These  men, 
however,  did  not  reach  the  cornfield  until  after  the  bloody  scenes  had  be,en 
enacted,  and  barely  found  time  to  return  to  the  fort  before  the  Indian 
host  appeared  before  it.  The  enemy  advanced  in  two  ranks,  in  open 


THE  SIEGE  OP  FORT  HENRY.  17 

order,  their  left  flank  reaching  to  the  river  bank,  and  their  right  extend- 
ing into  the  woods  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach.  As  the  three  volun- 
teers were  about  to  enter  the  gate  a  few  random  shots  were  fired  at  them 
and  instantly  a  loud  whoop  was  heard  on  the  enemy's  left  flank,  which 
passed,  as  if  by  concert,  along  the  line  to  the  extreme  right,  until  the 
welkin  was  filled  with  a  chorus  of  the  most  wild  and  startling  character. 
This  salute  was  responded  to  by  a  few  well  directed  rifle-shots  from  the 
lower  block  houses,  which  produced  a  manifest  confusion  in  the  ranks  of 
the  besiegers.  They  discontinued  their  shooting  and  retired  a  few  paces, 
probably  to  await  the  coming  up  of  their  right  flank,  which  it  would 
seem,  had  been  directed  to  make  a  general  sweep  of  the  bottom,  and 
then  approach  the  stockade  on  the  eastern  side. 

"At  this  moment  the  garrison  of  Fort  Henry  numbered  no  more  than 
twelve  men  and  boys.  The  fortunes  of  the  day,  so  far,  had  been  fear- 
fully against  them  ;  two  of  their  best  officers  and  more  than  two-thirds  of 
their  original  force  were  missing.  The  exact  fate  of  their  comrades  was 
unknown  to  them,  but  they  had  every  reason  to  apprehend  that  they 
had  been  cut  to  pieces.  Still  they  were  not  dismayed  ;  their  mothers, 
sisters,  wives  and  children  were  assembled  around  them  ;  they  had  a 
sacred  charge  to  protect,  and  they  resolved  to  fight  to  the  last  extremity, 
and  confidently  trusted  in  Heaven  for  the  successful  issue  of  the  combat. 

"When  the  enemy's  right  flank  came  up,  Girty  changed  his  order  of 
attack.  Parties  of  Indians  were  placed  in  such  of  the  village  houses  as 
commanded  a  view  of  the  block-houses  ;  a  strong  body  occupied  the  yard 
of  Ebenezer  Zane,  about  fifty  yards  from  the  fort,  using  a  paling-fence 
as  a  cover,  while  the  greater  part  were  posted  under  cover  in  the  edge 
of  the  cornfield,  to  act  offensively  or  serve  as  a  corps  of  reserve  as  occa- 
sion might  require.  These  dispositions  having  been  made,  Girty,  with  a 
white  flag  in  his  hand,  appeared  at  the  window  of  a  cabin  and  demanded 
the  surrender  of  the  garrison  in  the  name  of  his  Britannic  majesty.  He 
read  the  proclamation  of  Governor  Hamilton,  and  promised  them  pro- 
tection if  they  would  lay  down  their  arms  and  swear  allegiance  to  the 
British  Crown.  He  warned  them  to  submit  peaceably,  and  admitted  his 
inability  to  restrain  the  passions  of  his  warriors  when  they  once  became 
excited  with  the  strife  of  battle.  Colonel  Shepherd  promptly  told  him 
in  reply  that  the  garrison  would  never  surrender  to  him,  and  that  he 
could  only  obtain  possession  of  the  fort  when  there  remained  no  longer 
an  American  soldier  to  defend  it.  Girty  renewed  his  proposition,  but  be- 
fore he  finished  his  harrangue  a  thoughtless  youth  in  one  of  the  block- 
houses fired  a  gun  at  the  speaker,  and  brought  the  conference  to  an  abrupt 
termination.  Girty  disappeared,  and  in  about  fifteen  minutes  the  In- 
dians opened  the  siege  by  a  general  discharge  of  rifles. 

"  It  was  yet  quite  early  in  the    morning,  the  sun  not  having^  appear- 
3 


18  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

ed  above  the  summit  of  Wheeling  hill,  and  the  day  is  represented  as  be- 
ing one  of  surpassing  beauty.  The  Indians,  not  entirely  concealed  from 
the  view  of  the  garrison,  kept  up  a  brisk  fire  for  the  space  of  six  hours 
without  much  intermission.  The  little  garrison,  in  spite  of  its  hetero- 
geneous character,  was,  with  scarcely  an  exception,  composed  of  sharp- 
shooters. Several  of  them,  whose  experience  in  Indian  warfare  gave 
them  a  remarkable  degree  of  coolness  and  self-possession  in  the  face  of 
danger,  infused  confidence  into  the  young,  and,  as  they  never  fired  at 
random,  their  bullets,  in  most  cases,  took  effect.  The  Indiarns,  on  the 
contrary,  gloated  with  their  previous  success,  their  tomahawks  reeking 
with  the  blood  of  Mason's  and  Ogle's  men,  and  all  of  them  burning  with 
impatience  to  rush  into  the  fort  and  complete  their  work  of  butchery,  dis- 
charged their  guns  against,  the  pickets,  the  gate,  the  logs  of  the  block- 
houses, and  every  other  object  that  seemed  to  shelter  a  white  man.  Their 
fire  was  thrown  away.  At  length  some  of  the  most  daring  warriors  rush- 
ed up  close  to  the  block-houses  and  attempted  to  make  sure  work  by  firing 
through  the  logs;  but  these  reckless  savages  received  from  the  well- 
directed  rifles  of  the  frontiermen  the  fearful  reward  of  their  temerity. 
About  one  o'clock  the  Indians  discontinued  their  fire  and  fell  back 
against  the  base  of  the  hill. 

"The  stock  of  gunpowder  in  the  iort  having  been  nearly  exhausted,  it 
was  determined  to  seize  the  favorable  opportunity  offered  by  the  suspension 
of  hostilities  to  send  for  a  keg  of  powder  which  was  known  to  be  in  the 
house  of  Ebenezer  Zane,  about  sixty  yards  from  the  gate  of  the  fort  The 
person  executing  this  service  would  necessarily  expose  himself  to  the  dan- 
ger of  being  shot  down  by  the  Indians,  who  were  yet  sufficiently  near  to 
observe  everything  that  transpired  about  the  works.  The  Colonel  ex- 
plained the  matter  to  his  men,  and,  unwilling  to  order  one  of  them  to  un- 
dertake such  a  desperate  enterprise,  inquired  whether  any  man  would  vol- 
unteer for  the  service.  Three  or  four  young  men  promptly  stepped  for- 
ward in  obedience  to  the  call.  The  Colonel  informed  them  that  the  weak 
state  of  the  garrison  would  not  justify  the  absence  of  more  than  one  man, 
and  that  it  was  for  themselves  to  decide  who  that  person  should  be.  The 
eagerness  felt  by  each  volunteer  to  undertake  the  honorable  mission  pre- 
vented them  from  making  the  arrangement  proposed  by  the  commandant, 
and  so  much  time  was  consumed  in  the  contention  that  fears  began  to 
arise  that  the  Indians  would  renew  the  attack  before  the  powder  could 
be  procured.  At  this  crisis  a  young  lady,  the  sister  of  Ebenezer  and  Si- 
las Zane,  came  forward  and  desired  _that  she  might  be  permitted  to  exe- 
cute the  service.  This  proposition  seemed  so  extravagant  that  it  met 
with  a  peremptory  refusal,  but  she  instantly  renewed  her  petition  in 
terms  of  redoubled  earnestness,  and  all  the  remonstrances  of  the  Colonel 
and  her  relatives  failed  to  dissuade  her  from  her  heroic  purpose.  It  was 


THE  SIEGE  OF  FORT  HENRY.  19 

finally  represented  to  her  that  either  of  the  young  men  on  account  of  his 
superior  fleetness  and  familiarity  with  scenes  of  danger  would  be  more 
likely  than  herself  to  do  the  work  successfully.  She  replied  that  the 
danger  which  would  attend  the  enterprise  was  the  identical  reason  that 
induced  her  to  offer  her  services,  for,  as  the  garrison  was  very  weak,  no 
soldier's  life  should  be  placed  in  needless  jeopardy,  and  that  if  she  were  to 
fall  her  loss  would  not  be  felt.  Her  petition  was  ultimately  granted,  and 
the  gate  opened  for  her  to  pass  out,  The  opening  of  the  gate  arrested  the 
attention  of  several  Indians  who  were  straggling  through  the  village.  It 
was  noticed  that  their  eyes  were  upon  her  as  she  crossed  the  open  space 
to  reach  her  brothers'  house  ;  but  seized,  perhaps,  with  a  sudden  freak  of 
clemency,  or  believing  that  a  woman's  life  was  not  worth  a  load  of  gun- 
powder, or  influenced  by  some  other  unexplained  motive,  they  permitted 
her  to  pass  without  molestation.  .  When  she  reappeared  with  the  powder 
in  her  arms  the  Indians,  suspecting,  no  doubt,  the  character  of  her  bur- 
den, elevated  their  fire-locks  and  discharged  a  volley  at  her  as  she  swiftly 
glided  toward  the  gate,  but  the  balls  all  flew  wide  of  the  mark,  and  the 
fearless  girl  reached  the  fort  in  safety  with  her  prize.  The  pages  of  his- 
tory may  furnish  a  parallel  to  the  noble  exploit  of  Elizabeth  Zane,  but  an 
instance  of  greater  self-devotion  and  moral  intrepidity  is  not  to  be  found 
anywhere." — Kiernan. 

"  This  heroine  had  but  recently  returned  from  Philadelphia,  where  she 
had  received  her  education,  and  was  totally  unused  to  such  scenes  as 
were  daily  exhibited  on  the  frontier.  She  married  twice,  and  is,  or  was 
a  few  years  since,  living  in  Ohio  with  her  husband,  a  Mr.  Clarke." — 
Withers. 

"  About  half-past  two  o'clock  the  Indians  put  themselves  again  in  mo- 
tion, and  advanced  to  renew  the  siege.  As  in  the  first  attack,  a  portion 
of  the  warriors  took  possession  of  the  cabins  contiguous  to  the  fort,  while 
others  availed  themselves  of  the  cover  afforded  by  Zane's  paling-fence. 
A  large  number  posted  themselves  in  and  behind  a  blacksmith  shop  and 
stable  that  stood  opposite  the  northern  line  of  pickets,  and  another  party, 
probably  the  strongest  of  all,  stationed  themselves  undercover  of  a  worm 
fence  and  several  large  piles  of  fallen  timber  on  the  south  side  of  the  fort. 
The  siege  was  now  re-opened  from  the  latter  quarter — a  strong  gang  of 
Indians  advancing  under  cover  of  some  large  stumps  that  stood  on  the 
side  of  the  declivity  below  the  fort,  and  renewing  the  combat  with  loud 
yells  and  brisk  fire.  The  impetuosity  of  the  attack  on  the  south  side 
brought  the  whole  garrison  to  the  lower  block-houses,  from  which  they 
were  enabled  to  pour  out  a  destructive  fire  upon  the  enemy  in  that  quar- 
ter. While  the  garrison  was  thus  employed,  a  party  of  eighteen  or 
twenty  Indians,  armed  with  rails  and  billets  of  wood,  rushed  out  of 
Zane's  yard  and  made  an  attempt  to  force  open  the  gate  of  the  fort. 


20  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

Their  design  was  discovered  in  time  to  defeat  it ;  but  only  abandoned 
after  five  or  six  of  their  number  had  been  shot  down.  Upon  the  failure 
of  this  scheme,  the  Indians  opened  a  fire  upon  the  fort  from  all  sides, 
except  from  that  next  to  the  river,  which  afforded  no  shelter  to  a  be- 
sieging host.  On  the  north  and  east  the  battle  raged  most  fiercely  ;  for, 
notwithstanding  the  strength  of  the  assailants  on  the  south,  the  unfavor- 
ableness  of  the  ground  prevented  them  from  prosecuting  with  much  vigor 
the  attack  which  they  had  commenced  with  such  fury 

"  The  rifles  used  by  the  garrison,  towards  evening,  became  so  much 
heated  by  continued  firing,  that  they  were  rendered  measurably  useless ; 
and  recourse  was  then  had  to  muskets,  a  full  supply  of  which  was  found 
in  the  store-house.  As  darkness  set  in,  the  fire  of  the  savages  grew  weaker, 
though  it  was  not  entirely  discontinued  until  next  morning.  Shortly 
after  nightfall,  a  considerable  party  of  Indians  advanced  within  sixty 
yards  of  the  fort,  bringing  with  them  a  hollow  maple  log,  which  they 
had  converted  into  a  field-piece,  by  plugging  up  one  of  its  ends  with  a 
block  of  wood.  To  give  it  additional  strength,  a  quanity  of  chains, 
taken  from  the  black-smith  shop,  encompassed  it  from  one  end  to  the 
other.  It  was  heavily  charged  with  powder,  and  then  filled  to  the 
muzzle  with  pieces  of  stone,  slugs  of  iron,  and  such  other  hard  substances 
as  could  be  found.  The  cannon  was  graduated  carefully  to  discharge  its 
contents  against  the  gate  of  the  fort.  When  the  match  was  applied  it 
burst  into  many  fragments  ;  and  although  it  produced  no  effect  upon  the 
fort,  it  killed  and  wounded  several  of  the  Indians  who  stood  by  to  wit- 
ness its  discharge.  A  loud  yell  succeeded  the  failure  of  this  experiment, 
and  the  crowd  dispersed.  By  this  time  the  Indians  generally  had  with- 
drawn from  the  siege,  and  fallen  back  against  the  hill  to  take  rest  and 
food.  Numbers  of  stragglers,  however,  lurked  about  the  village  all 
night,  keeping  up  an  irregular  fire  on  the  fort,  and  destroying  whatever 
articles  of  furniture  and  household  comfort  they  chanced  to  find  in  the 
cabins, 

"Late  in  the  evening,  Francis  Duke,  a  son-in-law  of  Colonel  Shepherd, 
arrived  from  the  forks  of  Wheeling,  and  was  shot  down  by  the  Indians 
before  he  could  reach  the  gate  of  the  fort.  About  4  o'clock  next  morn- 
ing, September  28th,  Colonel  Swearingen,  with  14  men,  arrived  in  a 
pirogue  from  Cross  Creek,  and  was  fortunate  enough  to  fight  his  way 
into  the  fort  without  the  loss  of  a  man. 

"About  daybreak  Major  Samuel  McColloch,~with  40  mounted  men 
from  Short  Creek,  came  to  the  relief  of  the  little  garrison.  The  gate  was 
thrown  open,  and  McColloch's  men,  though  closely  beset  by  the  Indians, 
entered  in  safety  ;  but  McColloch  himself  was  not  permitted  to  pass  the 
gateway:  the  Indians  crowded  around  him  and  separated  him  from  his 
party.  After  several  ineffectual  attempts  to  force  his  way  to  the  gate,  he 


McCoLLOcn's  LEAP.  21 

wheeled  about  and  galloped  with  the  swiftness  of  a  deer  in  the  direction 
of  Wheeling  hill. 

MAJOR  M'COLLOCH'S  LEAP. 

"  The  Indians  might  easily  have  killed  him.  But  they  cherished  to- 
wards him  an  almost  phrensied  hatred;  for  he  had  participated  in  so 
many  encounters  that  almost  every  warrior  personally  knew  him.  To 
take  him  alive,  and  glut  their  full  revenge  by  the  most  fiendish  tor- 
tures was  their  object ;  and  they  made  almost  superhuman  exertions  to 
capture  him.  He  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  soon  became  completely 
hemmed  in  on  three  sides,  and  the  fourth  was  almost  a  perpendicular 
precipice  of  150  feet  descent,  with  Wheeling  creek  at  its  base.  Sup- 
porting his  rifle  on  his  left  hand,  and  carefully  adjusting  his  reins  with 
the  other,  he  urged  his  horse  to  the  brink  of  the  bluff,  and  then  made 
the  leap  which  decided  his  fate.  In  the  next  moment  the  noble  steed, 
still  bearing  his  intrepid  rider  in  safety,  was  at  the  foot  of  the  precipice. 
McColloch  immediately  dashed  across  the  creek,  and  was  soon  beyond 
the  reach  of  the  Indians. 

"After  the  escape  of  Major  McColloch,  the  Indians  concentrated  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  and  soon  after  set  fire  to  all  the  houses  and  fences  outside 
of  the  fort,  and  killed  about  300  head  of  cattle  belonging  to  the  settlers. 
They  then  raised  the  siege,  and  took  up  the  line  of  march  to  some  other 
theatre  of  action. 

RECAPITULATION. 

"  During  the  investiture,  not  a  single  man  within  the  fort  was  killed, 
and  only  one  wounded,  and  that  wound  was  a  slight  one.  But  the  loss 
sustained  by  the  whites  during  the  enemy's  inroad  was  remarkably  severe. 
Of  the  forty-two  men  who  were  in  the  fort  on  the  morning  of  the  27th,  no 
less  than  23  were  killed  in  the  cornfield  before  the  siege  commenced. 
The  two  men  who  had  been  sent  down  the  river  the  previous  night  in  a 
canoe,  were  intercepted  and  killed  ;  and  if  we  include  Mr.  Duke  in  the 
list,  the  loss  sustained  by  the  settlement  amounted  to  twenty-six  killed, 
besides  four  or  five  wounded.  The  enemy's  loss  was  from  sixty  to  one 
hundred.  Agreeably  to  their  ancient  custom,  they  removed  their  dead 
from  the  field  before  the  siege  was  raised  ;  the  extent  of  their  loss,  there- 
fore, is  merely  conjectural." — Kiernan. 

MAJOR  M'COLLOCH'S  DEATH. 

As  the  reader  will  very  naturally  desire  to  learn  the  fate  of  Major 
McColloch  after  his  almost  miraculous  escape  from  the  Indians,  some 
account  of  the  manner  of  his  death  may  be  properly  introduced  in  this 
place  : 

"  Towards  the  latter  end  of  July,  1782,  indications  of  Indians  having 
been  noticed,  by  some  of  the  settlers,  Major  McColloch  and  his  brother 


22  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

John,  mounted  their  horses,  and  left  Van  Metre's  fort,  to  ascertain  the 
correctness  of  the  report.  They  crossed  Short  creek,  and  continued  in 
the  direction  of  Wheeling,  but  inclining  towards  the  river.  They  scouted 
closely,  but  cautiously,  and  not  discovering  any  such  '  signs  '  as  had  been 
stated,  descended  to  the  river  bottom  at  a  point  on  the  farm  subsequently 
owned  by  Alfred  P.  Woods,  about  two  miles  above  Wheeling.  They 
then  passed  up  the  river  to  the  mouth  of  Short  creek,  and  thence  up  Girty's 
Point  in  the  direction  of  Van  Metre's.  Not  discovering  any  indications 
of  the  enemy,  the  brothers  were  riding  leasurely  along,  (July  30,  1782)> 
and  when  a  short  distance  beyond  the  "  point,"  a  deadly  discharge  of 
rifles  took  place  killing  Major  Samuel  McColloch  instantly.  His  brother 
John  escaped,  but  his  horse  was  killed.  Immediately  mounting  that  of 
his  brother,  he  made  off  to  give  the  alarm.  As  yet  no  enemy  had  been 
seen  ;  but  turning  in  his  saddle,  after  riding  fifty  yards,  the  path  was 
filled  with  Indians,  and  one  fellow  was  seen  in  the  act  of  scalping  the 
unfortunate  Major.  Quick  as  thought  the  rifle  of  John  was  at  bis 
shoulder,  an  instant  later,  and  the  savage  was  rolling  in  the  agonies  of 
death.  John  escaped  to  the  fort  unhurt,  with  the  exception  of  a  slight 
wound  on  his  hip. 

"  On  the  following  day,  a  party  of  men  from  Van  Metre's  went  out  and 
gathered  up  the  mutilated  remains  of  Major  McColloch.  The  savages  had 
disemboweled  him,  but  the  viscera  all  remained  except  the  heart.  Some 
years  subsequent  to  this  melancholy  affair, an  Indian,  who  had  been  one  of 
the  party  on  this  occasion,  told  some  whites  that  the  heart  of  Major  Mc- 
Colloch had  been  divided  and  eaten  by  the  party.  '  This  was  done,'  said  he, 
'that  we  be  bold  like  Maj.  McColloch.'  On  another  occasion,  an  Indian,  in 
speaking  of  the  incident,  said:  "The  whites,'  (meaning  John  Mc- 
Colloch), '  had  killed  a  great  captain,  but  they,'  (the  Indians),  '  had 
killed  a  greater  one.'  " — De  Hass. 

The  question  has  been  mooted  whether  Samuel  McColloch  or  his 
younger  brother  John,  of  whom  honorable  mention  has  just  been  made, 
was  the  real  hero  of  the  "  leap  ;  "  but  this  point  has  been  so  thoroughly 
sifted,  that  there  no  longer  remains  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  that  Samuel 
McColloch  was  the  identical  person  ;  so  that  the  subject  may  be  safely 
dismissed,  as  not  requiring  further  discussion. 

But  not  so  as  to  the  real  heroine  in  "  the  gunpowder  exploit."  This 
has  been  a  disputed  point,  some  claiming  the  honor  of  the  feat  for  Eliza- 
beth Zane,  others  for  Molly  Scott.  With  the  view,  therefore,  of  settling 
the  question,  if  possible,  the  writer  caused  the  following  articles  to  be 
inserted  in  the  Wheeling  Daily  Register,  dated  respectively  July  21, 1876, 
and  August  3,  1876  : 


THE  GUNPOWDER  EXPLOIT.  23 

THE  REAL  HEROINE  OF  THE  GUNPOWDER  EXPLOIT — MOLLIE  SCOTT  VS. 

ELIZABETH  ZANE. 

That  the  niaiu  facts,  as  given  by  Mr.  Kiernan,  in  regard  to  the  gun- 
powder exploit  during  the  siege  of  Fort  Henry,  are  to  be  relied  upon, 
there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt ;  but  it  has  been  suggested  by  some 
that  Mr.  Kiernau's  account  of  that  transaction  is  rather  overdrawn,  and 
was  probably  written  under  the  pressure  of  strong  family  influence.  Be 
this  as  it  may,  it  is  positively  denied,  by  competent  testimony,  that 
Elizabeth  Zane  was  the  real  heroine  of  the  story,  and  as  stoutly  affirmed 
that  Mollie  Scott  was.  The  testimony  of  Mrs.  Lydia  S.  Cruger  as  to  who 
was  the  real  heroine  in  the  case,  is  positive.  Mrs.  Cruger  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Captain  Boggs,  who  had  charge  of  the  public  stores,  (including  the 
ammunition),  within  the  stockade.  She  was  then  seventeen  years  of  age, 
and  retained  to  the  day  of  her  death  a  vivid  impression  of  the  events 
which  she  records.  Her  account  of  the  transaction  has  the  recommenda- 
tion of  being  clear,  circumstantial,  positive,  almost  defiant.  It  is  not 
given  as  hear-say  evidence  merely,  but  as  a  narrative  of  events  which 
fell  under  her  own  personal  observation,  and  in  which  she  was  to  some 
extent  an  actor.  She  was  a  lady  of  remarkably  sound  judgment  and  re- 
tentive memory,  and  it  is  yet  to  be  learned  that  her  character  for  truth- 
fulness and  integrity  has  ever  been  successfully  impeached. 

The  idea  put  forth  by  some  recent  fictitious  writer  that  Mrs.  Cruger 
was  influenced  in  her  statement  by  an  old  feeling  of  rivalry  toward 
Elizabeth  Zane,  in  the  absence  of  historical  proof,  is  simply  preposterous, 
and  will  not  receive  a  moment's  consideration  from  any  one  who  enjoyed 
her  acquaintance. 

It  has  been  incidentally  learned  that  there  are  certain  parties  who 
claim  to  be  in  possession  of  evidence  that  Mollie  Scott  declined  the  honor 
of  being  the  heroine  of  the  gunpowder  exploit,  and  gave  the  credit  ex- 
plicitly to  Elizabeth  Zaue.  If  such  be  the  fact,  then  the  writer  can  only 
say  that  he  has  never  seen  any  such  statement  from  Mollie  Scott  in  print, 
and,  until  further  enlightened,  is  simply  left  to  wonder  why  ? 

But,  be  this  as  it  may,  if  the  friends  of  Elizabeth  Zane  can  produce 
any  such  statement,  well  authenticated,  not  merely  by  hear-say  testimony, 
but  by  such  evidence  as  would  be  received  in  a  court  oi  justice,  then  all 
special  pleading  is  at  an  end,  and  the  statement  of  Mrs.  Cruger  falls  to 
the  ground,  no  matter  what  may  be  the  effect  upon  her  future  reputation. 
This  vexed  question  should  be  settled  at  once,  now,  in  this  Centennial 
year,  and  the  present  offers  a  favorable  opportunity.  Mrs.  Cruger,  as  be- 
fore stated,  was  the  daughter  of  Captain  William  Boggs.  Her  first  hus- 
band was  Colonel  Moses  Shepperd.  She  subsequently  married  Colonel 
Cruger,  of  New  York,  and  died  a  few  years  ago,  at  the  Monument  House, 
six  miles  east  of  Wheeling,  aged  102  years.  We  will  now  allow  her  to 
speak  for  herself,  and  then  we  pause  for  a  reply.  INVESTIGATOR. 


24  LEGENDS  OP  THE  VALLEY. 

[From  De  Hass'  History  of  the  Indian  Wars.] 

"The  undersigned  having  been  applied  to  for  a  statement  of  facts  re- 
specting the  memorable  achievement  at  the  attack  on  Fort  Henry 
(Wheeling)  in  September,  1782,  known  as  the  gunpowder  exploit,  would 
state  as  follows,  viz : 

"  On  Monday  afternoon,  September  11,  1782,  a  body  of  about  300  In- 
dians, and  50  British  soldiers,  composing  part  of  a  company  known  as 
the  Queen's  Rangers,  appeared  in  frout  of  the  fort  and  demanded  a  sur- 
render. These  forces  were  commanded  respectively  by  the  white  rene- 
gade Girty  and  Captain  Pratt. 

"  The  demand  for  a  surrender  was,  of  course,  not  complied  with,  and 
the  attack  then  commenced. 

"During  the  forenoon  of  Tuesday,  Sept*  mber  12,  the  enemy  having 
temporarily  withdrawn  from  the  attack,  but  occupying  a  position  within 
gunshot  of  the  fort,  those  within  the  stockade  observed  a  female  leave  the 
residence  of  Colonel  Zane  and  advance  with  rapid  movements  toward  the 
fort.  She  made  for  the  southern  gate,  as  it  was  le^-s  exposed  to  the  fire 
of  the  enemy.  The  gate  was  opened  immediately,  and  she  entered  in  safe- 
ty. That  person  was  none  other  than  Mollie  Scott,  and  the  object  of  her 
mission  was  to  procure  powder  for  those  who  defended  the  dwelling  of 
Colonel  Zane.  The  undersigned  was  at  that  time  in  her  seventeenth  year, 
and  remembers  every  circumstance  connected  with  the  incident.  She 
saw  Mollie  Scott  enter  the  fort,  assisted  her  in  getting  the  powder  and 
saw  her  leave,  and  avers  most  positively  that  she,  and  she  alone,  accom- 
plished the  feat  referred  to,  and  deserves  all  the  credit  that  may  be  at- 
tached to  it. 

"The  ammunition  at  that  time  was  kept  in  the  store-house,  adjoining 
the  residence  of  my  father,  and  known  as  the  "  Captain's  house."  My 
father,  (Captain  Boggs),  having  left  for  help  on  the  commencement  of 
the  attack ;  and  I,  being  the  oldest  child  under  the  paternal  roof,  was 
directed  by  my  mother  to  go  with  the  messenger,  (Mollie  Scott),  to  the 
store-house,  and  give  her  whatever  ammunition  she  needed.  This  the  un- 
dersigned did,  and  will  now  state,  without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  the 
powder  was  given  to  Mollie  Scott,  and  not  to  Elizabeth  Zane. 

"  The  undersigned  assisted  Mollie  Scott  inplacing  thepowder  in  her  apron, 
and  to  this  she  is  willing  to  be  qualified  at  any  time. 

"  Elizabeth  Zane,  for  whom  has  long  been  claimed  the  credit  of  this 
heroic  feat,  was  at  that  time  at  the  residence  of  her  father,  near  the  pres- 
ent town  of  Washington,  Pa. 

"  At  the  time  of  its  occurrence,  the  achievement  was  not  considered 
very  extraordinary.  Those  were  emphatically  times  when  woman's  heart 
was  nerved  to  deeds  of  no  ordinary  kind.  We  all  felt  it  was  then  '  to 
do  or  die,'  and  the  undersigned  does  not  hesitate  to  say  that  more  than  one 


THE  GUNPOWDER  EXPLOIT.  25 

within  the  little  stockade  at  Wheeling  would  have  accomplished  the  feat 
with  as  much  credit  as  the  one  whose  name  seems  destined  to  an  immor- 
tality in  border  warfare. 

"  But  the  undersigned  does  not  wish  to  detract  from  the  heroism  of 
that  feat ;  she  only  desires  to  correct  a  gross  error — to  give  honor  to  whom 
honor  is  due.  This  she  deems  imperative,  that  the  truth  and  justice  of 
history  may  be  maintained. 

"  The  undersigned  disclaims  all  unkind  feeling  toward  any  one,  in  re- 
lation to  this  statement.  Elizabeth  Zane  was  one  of  her  earliest  ac- 
quaintances, whom  she  knew  to  be  a  woman  brave,  generous  and  single- 
hearted. 

"  Given  under  my  hand  and  seal  this  28th  day  of  November,  1849. 

"  LYDIA  S.  CRUGER,  [Seal]." 

THE    GUNPOWDER    EXPLOIT. 

In  the  Wheeling  Daily  Register,  of  July  21,  1876,  an  article  appeared 
over  the  signature  of  "  Investigator,"  accompanied  by  a  statement  of 
Lydia  S.  Cruger,  in  regard  to  the  gunpowder  exploit,  the  object  of  which 
was  to  elicit  information  on  the  one  single  point,  as  to  whether  Mollie 
Scott,  to  whom  Mrs.  Cruger  gives  the  credit  of  this  memorable  feat,  had 
ever  declined  the  honor  of  the  same  in  favor  of  Elizabeth  Zane,  as  had 
by  some  been  alleged.  It  was  believed  that  on  this  point  hinged  a  final 
settlement  of  the  question.  But  to  said  communication  in  the  .Register 
no  response  has  been  made,  which,  in  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  warrants 
the  conclusion  that  no  satisfactory  response  can  be  made ;  in  other 
words,  that  Mollie  Scott  never  made  any  such  concession  in  favor  of 
Elizabeth  Zane  as  that  which  has  been  imputed  to  her.  This  view  of  the 
case  receives  further  confirmation  from  the  circumstance  that  Mr.  De 
Hass,  in  his  account  of  the  border  wars,  published,  perhaps,  twenty  years 
ago,  makes  no  allusion  whatever  to  any  such  waiver  on  the  part  of  Mollie 
Scott;  but,  had  there  been  *uch,  he  would  undoubtedly  have  heard  of  it 
during  the  progress  of  his  investigations,  and  would  have  referred  to  it 
in  his  work. 

It  seems  to  be  generally  conceded  that  there  was  a  second  siege  of  Fort 
Henry,  which  took  place  in  1782.  By  Mr.  Kiernan  the  powder  exploit 
is  assigned  to  the  siege  of  1777  ;  by  Mrs.  Cruger  to  that  of  1782.  Now  it 
may  be  suggested  that  Mr.  Kiernan  may  have  fallen  into  an  error  in  as- 
signing the  feat  to  the  former  rather  than  the  latter  siege.  On  this  point 
Mrs.  Cruger  speaks  positively  that  it  took  place  in  1782;  that  her  father, 
Captain  Boggs,  being  at  that  time  commandant  of  the  fort,  was  tem- 
porarily absent  hunting  up  recruits  ;  that  she  was  not  only  an  eye-wit- 
ness, but  to  some  extent  an  actor  in  the  transaction,  and,  of  course,  had 
every  opportunity  of  knowing  the  truth  of  what  she  affirmed. 
4 


26  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

In  1777  the  Indians  burned  all  the  houses  outside  of  the  fort,  and,  ac- 
cording to  De  Hass,  Colonel  Ebenezer  Zane  resolved,  that,  should  the  sav- 
ages again  visit  the  settlement,  he  would  remain  in  his  house  and  perish 
sooner  than  abandon  it  to  the  torch  of  the  enemy.  On  the  reappearance 
of  the  Indians  in  1782,  under  the  lead,  as  is  said  by  some,  of  George  Gir- 
ty,  brother  of  Simon,  Colonel  Zane  continued  at  his  house,  and  declared 
his  fixed  determination  to  defend  it  to  the  last.  With  some  members  of 
his  family,  his  brother  Silas,  and  a  few  others,  he  did  so  ;  "  and  so  con- 
stantly did  they  keep  up  the  fire  against  the  enemy  that  they  were  slow  to 
approach  within  range  of  the  guns." 

Mr.  Kiernan  speaks  of  a  keg  of  powder  having  been  left  in  the  Zane 
house  during  the  siege  of  1777.  But  why  should  it  have  been  left  there  ? 
Why  was  it  not  in  the  store-house  within  the  stockade,  which  was  the 
proper  place  for  the  ammunition,  especially  as  the  Zane  house  was  not 
defended  at  the  siege  of  1777?  Besides,  during  the  attack  of  1777,  a 
part  of  the  Indians  occupied  Zane's  yard,  and  fought  under  cover  of  the 
"  paling  fence."  Of  course  they  had  easy  access  to  the  house,  and  would 
almost  certainly  have  discovered  and  confiscated  the  powder ;  but  we 
read  of  nothing  of  the  kind,  nor  yet  of  an  explosion  when  the  house  was 
burned. 

Mr.  Kiernan  says,  in  1777,  the  east  gate  was  the  only  gate  of  the 
stockade  ;  but  Mrs.  Cruger  speaks  of  a  southern  gate,  in  1782,  and  it  was 
by  this  gate,  she  says,  that  Mollie  Scott  entered  the  fort  after  she  left  the 
Zane  house,  and  this  is  the  more  likely,  as  the  Zane  house  was  in  a  south- 
easterly direction  from  the  fort. 

With  the  foregoing  facts  well  understood,  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  con- 
ceive that  the  defenders  of  the  Zane  house,  on  the  failure  of  their  powder, 
should  have  dispatched  a  messenger  to  the  fort,and  that  the  girl  would  aim 
for  the  southern  gate  ;  and  this  is  in  exact  agreement  with  the  testimony 
of  Mrs.  Cruger,  who  says  that  such  a  messenger  was  sent;  that  she  en- 
tered and  returned  by  the  southern  gate,  that  she  (Mrs.  Cruger)  put 
the  powder  into  her  lap,  and  that  the  said  messenger  "  was  none  other 
than  Mollie  Scott."  The  inference,  therefore,  in  favor  of  the  truth  of 
Mrs.  Cruger's  statement,  when  all  the  facts  presented  in  this  and  the  for- 
mer article  are  considered,  would  seem  to  be  almost  irresistible. 

The  writer  would  only  say,  in  conclusion,  that  in  attempting  to  vindi- 
cate the  truth  of  Mrs.  Cruger's  statement,  he  has  been  governed  by  the 
single  motive  of  wishing  "  to  maintain  the  truth  and  justice  of  history," 
desiring,  at  the  same  time,  to  ascribe  all  honor  justly  due  to  Elizabeth 
Zane  and  her  noble  and  heroic  family,  INVESTIGATOR. 


III. 

CAPTAIN  FOREMAN  AND  HIS  MEN. 

A  Deplorable  Ambuscade. 


BOUT  four  miles  above  the  present  town  of  Moundsville,  on 
the  Ohio  river,  is  a  monument  bearing  the  following  in- 
scription : 

"This  humble  stone  is  erected  to  the  memory  of  Captain  Foreman  and 
twenty-one  of  his  men,  who  were  slain  by  a  band  of  ruthless  savages — the 
allies  of  a  civilized  nation  of  Europe — on  the  25th  of  September,  1777. 

'  So  sleep  the  brave  who  sink  to  rest, 
By  all  their  country's  wishes  blest.'  " 

The  account  of  the  massacre  which  the  monument  is  designed  to  com- 
memorate, is  thus  given  by  De  Hass  : 

"  Captain  William  Foreman,  a  brave  and  meritorious  officer," — but 
unskilled,  it  should  be  said,  in  Indian  warfare — "  organized  a  volunteer 
company  in  Hampshire  county,  Virginia,  and  marched  to  Wheeling  in 
the  fall  of  1777. 

******"  On  Sunday  morning,  September  24th,  (?)  a 
smoke  was  noticed  by  some  persons  at  Wheeling,  in  the  direction  of 
Grave  Creek,  which  caused  an  apprehension  that  the  Indians  might  be 
burning  the  stockade  and  houses  of  Mr.  Tomlinson.  In  order  to  ascer- 
tain the  fact,  and  afford  protection,  if  any  were  necessary,  Captain 
Foreman,  with  his  company  and  a  few  experienced  scouts,  were  dis- 
patched by  Colonel  Shepherd  for  the  purpose. 

"The  party  proceeded  without  interruption  to  Grave  Creek  and  found 
all  safe.  Remaining  over  night,  they  started  the  following  morning  to 
return.  When  they  reached  the  lower  end  of  the  narrows,  some  of  the 
more  experienced  frontiermen  suggested  the  expediency  of  leaving  the 
river  bottom,  and  returning  by  way  of  the  ridge.  The  commander,  how- 
ever, hooted  at  the  idea  of  so  much  caution,  and  ordered  the  party  to 
proceed.  The  order  was  obeyed  by  his  own  men,  including  several  of 
the  scouts  ;  but  some  declined  to  go  with  him,  and  of  these  was  a  man 
named  Lynn,  whose  great  experience  as  a  spy,  added  to  his  sagacity  and 


28  LEGNDS  OP  THE  VALLEY. 

judgment,  should  at  least  have  rendered  his  opinions  valuable,  and  en- 
titled to  weight.  His  apprehensions  were  that  the  Indians,  if  lurking 
about,  had  watched  the  movements  of  the  party,  and  would  most  likely 
attack  them  at  some  point  on  the  river.  He  said,  that  in  all  probability, 
they  had  been  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  and  noticed  the  party  go 
down  ;  that  they  had  crossed  during  the  night  and  probably  were  at  that 
time  lying  in  ambush  for  their  return. 

"  During  the  interchange  of  opinions  between  Foreman  and  Lynn,  the 
controversy,  at  times,  ran  high.  Foreman,  who  prided  himself  on  being 
a  thoroughly  disciplined  officer,  was  not  disposed  to  yield  to  the  sug- 
gestions of  a  rough  backwoodsman.  Lynn,  on  the  other  hand,  con- 
vinced of  the  fatal  error  which  the  other  seemed  determined  to  commit, 
could  not  but  remonstrate  with  great  earnestness.  Finally,  when  the 
order  to  inarch  was  given,  Lynn,  with  some  six  or  eight  others  struck  up 
the  hill  side,  while  Foreman  with  his  company  pursued  the  path  along 
the  base.  Nothing  of  importance  occurred  until  the  party  reached  the 
extreme  upper  end  of  the  narrows.  Just  where  the  bottom  begins  to 
widen,  those  in  front  had  their  attention  called  to  a  display  of  Indian 
trinkets,  beads,  bands,  &c.,  strewn  in  profusion  along  the  path.  With  a 
natural  curiosity,  but  with  a  great  lack  of  caution,  the  entire  party 
gathered  about  those  who  picked  up  the  articles  of  decoy,  and  whilst  thus 
standing  in  a  group,  looking  at  the  trinkets,  two  lines  of  Indians  stretched 
across  the  path,  one  above,  the  other  below,  and  a  large  body  of  them 
simultaneously  arose  from  beneath  the  bank,  and  opened  upon  the  de- 
voted party  a  most  deadly  and  destructive  fire.  The  hill  rises  at  this 
point  very  abruptly,  presenting  an  almost  insurmountable  barrier.  Still, 
those  of  the  party  who  escaped  the  first  discharge,  attempted  to  rush  up 
the  hill,  and  some  with  success.  But  the  savages  pursued  and  killed 
several. 

"At  the  first  fire,  Captain  Foreman  and  most  of  his  party,  including 
his  two  sons  fell  dead.  The  exact  loss  cannot  with  certainty  be  ascer- 
tained, but  is  supposed  to  have  been  about  twenty,  including  the  Captain. 

"  When  Lynn  and  his  party  heard  the  guns,  they  rushed  down  the 
hill-side  hallooing  as  though  they  were  five  times  as  numerous.  This  had 
the  effect  of  restraining  the  savages  in  pursuit.  Of  those  who  escaped 
up  the  hill  were  Robert  Harkness  and  John  Collins.  The  former  in 
pulling  himself  up  by  a  sapling,  had  the  bark  knocked  into  his  face  by  a 
ball  from  an  ludian's  gun.  Collins  was  shot  through  the  left  thigh, 
breaking  the  bone  and  completely  disabling  him.  Lynn  and  his  com- 
panions carried  him  to  a  spring — supposed  to  be  the  one  near  the 
present  residence  of  Colonel  Samuel  Baker — and  throwing  together  their 
supply  of  provisions,  left  him  in  a  sheltered  position,  promising  to  send  a 


CAPTAIN  FOREMAN  AND  His  MEN.  29 

horse  for  him  the  next  day,  which  was   accordingly  done.     Collins  re- 
covered, and  lived  for  many  years. 

"  On  the  second  day,  a  party  went  down  and  buried  the  dead.  Colonel 
Shepherd,  Colonel  Zane,  Andrew  Poe  and  Martin  Wetzel  were  of  the 
number.  The  slain  were  buried  in  one  common  grave,  and  the  site  is  in- 
dicated by  the  stoue  already  described."* 

*This  stone  has  recently  been  removed  to  the  town  of  Moundsville,  with  cere- 
monies. But  wherein  the  wit  or  wisdom  of  such  a  proceeding  lies,  is  difficult  to 
perceive.  One  would  think  it  ought  to  be  returned  to  is  former  position,  in  order  to 
mark  the  spot  where  the  renowned  dead  are  buried  ;  or,  which  would  be  better  per- 
haps, a  new  stone  or  monument,  should  be  erected  in  its  place. 


IV. 

THE  MORAVIAN  MASSACRE. 


Moravian  Indians  consisted  chiefly  of  Delawares  and  Mohicans, 
who  had  been  converted  to  Christianity  through  the  zeal  and  in- 
fluence of  the  Moravian  missionaries.  They  had  four  towns  on  the 
Upper  Muskingum,  in  the  line  of  travel  between  the  nearest  point 
on  the  Ohio  River  and  Sandusky  City,  the  home  of  the  Shaw- 
nees  and  other  warlike  tribes.  The  Moravian  Indians  were  al- 
ways friendly  toward  the  whites.  During  the  whole  of  the  Rev- 
olutionary War  they  had  remained  neutral,  or,  if  they  took  part, 
it  was  in  favor  of  the  Americans,  advising  them  of  the  approach  of 
hostile  Indians,  and  rendering  other  kindly  offices.  For  ten  years  of  bor-' 
der  strife  they  had  lived  in  peace  and  quietness,  but  at  length  became 
objects  of  suspicion  to  both  whites  and  savages.  They  were,  it  may  be 
said,  between  two  fires.  While  passing  to  and  fro,  the  hostile  parties 
would  compel  them  to  furnish  provisions.  It  is  not  surprising,  there- 
fore, that  they  should  have  fallen  a  sacrifice  to  one  or  the  other. 

It  happened  that  early  in  February,  1782,  a  party  of  Indians  from 
Sandusky  penetrated  the  white  settlements,  and  committed  numerous 
depredations.  Of  the  families  which  fell  beneath  the  murderous  stroke  of 
these  savages  was  that  of  David  Wallace,  consisting  of  himself,  wife  and 
six  children  ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  a  man  named  Carpenter  was  taken 
prisoner.  The  early  date  of  this  visitation  induced  the  whites  to  believe 
that  the  depredators  had  wintered  with  the  Moravians,  and  they  at  once 
resolved  on  executing  summary  vengeance.  About  the  first  of  March 
a  body  of  eighty  or  ninety  men  rendezvoused  at  Mingo  Bottom,  a  few 
miles  below  the  present  town  of  Steubenville,  Ohio.  The  second  day's 
march  brought  them  within  a  short  distance  of  one  of  the  Moravian 
towns — of  which  there  were  four — and  they  encamped  for  the  night. 

The  victims  received  warning  of  their  danger,  but  took  no  measures  to 
escape,  believing  that  they  had  nothing  to  fear  from  the  Americans.  On 
the  arriyal  of  an  advanced  party  of  sixteen  men,  they  professed  peace 
and  good-will  to  the  Moravians,  and  informeJ  them  that  they  had  come 


THE  MORAVIAN  MASSACRE.  31 

to  take  them  to  Fort  Pitt  for  safety.  The  Indians  surrendered,  delivered 
up  their  arms,  even  their  hatchets,  on  being  promised  that  everything 
should  be  restored  to  them  on  their  arrival  at  Pittsburgh.  By  per- 
suasion of  some,  and  driving  of  others,  the  inhabitants  of  two  or  three  of 
the  towns  had  been  brought  together  and  bound  without  resistance.  A 
council  of  war  was  then  held  to  decide  their  fate.  The  commandant, 
Colonel  David  Williamson,  at  the  suggestion  of  his  officers,  then  put  the 
question  to  his  men  in  form  '  Whether  the  Moravian  Indians  should  be 
taken  prisoners  to  Pittsburgh,  or  put  to  death?'  and  requested  that  all 
who  were  in  favor  of  saving  their  lives  should  step  out  of  the  line  and 
form  a  second  rank.  On  this,  sixteen  men  stepped  out  and  formed  them- 
selves into  a  second  line.  The  fearful  determination  of  putting  the  Mora- 
vians to  death  was  thus  shown. 

Most  of  those  opposed  to  this  diabolical  resolution  protested,  in  the 
name  of  high  heaven,  against  the  atrocious  act,  and  called  God  to  witness 
that  they  were  innocent  of  the  blood  of  these  people;  yet  the  majority 
remained  unmoved,  and  some  of  them  were  even  in  favor  of  burning  them 
alive.  But  it  was  at  length  decided  that  they  should  be  scalped  in  cold 
blood,  and  the  Indians  were  told  to  prepare  for  their  fate.  They  were 
led  into  buildings,  in  one  of  which  the  men,  and  in  the  other  the  women 
and  children  were  confined,  like  sheep  for  the  slaughter.  They  passed 
the  night  in  praying  and  exhorting  one  another,  and  singing  hymns  of 
praise  to  God. 

When  the  morning  arrived,  for  the  purpose  of  slaughter,  two  houses 
were  selected,  one  for  the  men  and  the  other  for  the  women  and  children. 
The  v'ctirns  were  then  bound,  two  and  two  together,  led  into  the  slaugh- 
ter-houses, and  there  scalped  and  murdered.  The  number  of  the  slain, 
according  to  the  Moravian  account — for  many  of  them  had  made  their 
escape — was  ninety-six.  Of  these  sixty-two  were  grown  persons,  one- 
third  of  whom  were  women  ;  the  remaining  thirty-four  were  children. 

After  the  work  of  death  had  been  finished,  and  the  plunder  secured, 
all  the  buildings  in  the  towns  were  set  on  fire.  A  rapid  retreat  to  the  set- 
tlements concluded  this  deplorable  campaign. 

The  facts  embodied  in  the  foregoing  narrative  are  derived  chiefly  from 
Doddridge's  Notes,  and  partly  expressed  in  the  language  of  De  Hass. 

"  In  justice  to  the  memory  of  Colonel  Williamson,"  says  Doddridge, 
"  I  have  to  say,  that  although  at  that  time  very  young,  I  was  personally 
acquainted  with  him,  and  from  my  recollection  of  his  conversation,  I 
say  with  confidence  that  he  was  a  brave  man,  but  not  cruel.  He  would 
meet  an  enemy  in  battle  and  fight  like  a  soldier  :  but  not  murder  a 
prisoner.  Had  he  possessed  the  authority  of  a  superior  officer  in  a 
regular  army,  I  do  not  believe  that  a  single  Moravian  Indiaq  would 
have  lost  his  life  ;  but  he  poseessed  no  such  authority.  He  was  only  a 


32  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

militia 'officer,  who  could  advise,  but  not  command.  His  only  fault  was 
that  of  too  easy  a  compliance  with  popular  opinion  and  popular 
prejudice.  On  this  account  his  memory  has  been  loaded  with  unmerited 
reproach. 

"Should  it  be  asked  what  sort  of  people  composed  the  band  of  mur- 
derers, I  answer,  they  were  not  all  miscreants  or  vagabonds ;  many  of 
them  were  men  of  the  first  standing  in  the  country.  Many  of  them  had 
recently  lost  relations  by  the  hands  of  the  savages,  and  were  burning 
with  revenge.  They  cared  little  upon  whom  they  wreaked  their  vengeance, 
so  they  were  Indians. 

"  When  attacked  by  our  people,  although  the  Moravians  might  have 
defended  themselves,  they  did  not.  They  never  fired  a  single  shot. 
They  were  prisoners,  and  had  been  promised  protection.  Every  dictate 
of  justice  required  that  their  lives  should  be  spared.  It  was,  therefore, 
an  atrocious  and  unqualified  murder." — Doddridge. 

The  fate  of  the  Maravians  was  probably  decided  by  a  mob,  which 
Colonel  Williamson  felt  himself  powerless  to  control ;  in  which  a  few  in- 
furiated spirits,  by  clamor,  violence  and  intimidation  of  weaker  minds, 
carried  them  forward  against  their  own  convictions,  to  the  perpetration 
of  this  diabolical  wickedness.  In  such  a  crisis,  as  it  seems  to  the  writer, 
even  hesitation  is  a  crime :  and  though  he  is  prepared  to  sympathize 
with  Colonel  Williamson  to  the  extent  of  pitying  his  embarassment,  he 
is  not  disposed  to  exonerate  him  from  severe  censure.  In  such  a  case,  it 
would  have  been  better  for  his  reputation  had  he  thrown  himself  into  the 
breach  and  died  in  the  struggle  rather  than  allow  such  a  gross  triumph 
of  wicked  barbarity  over  the  acknowledged  principles  of  justice  and 
humanity.  Had  he  done  so,  at  the  critical  moment,  perhaps  the  ma- 
jority would  have  sprung  to  his  side,  and  thus  this  burning  and  cruel 
shame  might  have  been  avoided.  Every  person  knows  what  one  bold 
and  determined  spirit,  in  a  crisis  like  this,  can  accomplish  ;  and  what 
responsive  throbs  such  heroic  deeds  awaken  in  the  hearts  of  all  true 
lovers  of  humanity.  But  still,  all  men  are  not  capable  of  all  things ; 
and  the  Moravian  Massacre  will  forever  remain  a  foul  blot  npon  the 
historic  page. 


V. 


Disaster  and  Horrible  Death. 


object  of  this  campaign  was  twofold  :  First,  to  complete  the 
work  of  murdering  and  plundering  the  Moravians,  at  their  new  es- 
tablishment on  the  Sandusky  ;  and,  secondly,  to  destroy  the  Wyan- 
dotte  towns  on  the  same  river.  It  was  the  resolution  of  all  concerned  in 
this  expedition  not  to  spare  the  life  of  any  Indian  that  might  fall  into 
their  hands,  friend  or  foe,  man,  woman  or  child.  But,  as  will  be  seen  in 
the  sequel,  the  result  was  widely  different  from  that  of  the  Moravian 
campaign  of  the  preceding  March. 

It  would  seem  that  the  long  continuance  of  this  Indian  war  had  great- 
ly demoralized  the  early  settlers,  and,  being  prompted  by  an  indiscrimi- 
nate thirst  for  revenge,  they  were  prepared  to  go  to  almost  any  extreme 
of  barbarity. 

On  the  25th  of  May,  1782,  four  hundred  and  eighty  men  mustered  at 
Mingo  Bottom,  and  proceeded  to  elect  their  commander.  The  choice  fell 
upon  Colonel  William  Crawford,  who  accepted  the  command  with  some 
degree  of  reluctance. 

The  army  marched  along  "  Williamson's  trail  "  until  they  arrived  at 
the  ruins  of  the  upper  Moravian  town,  in  the  fields  belonging  to  which 
there  were  still  plenty  of  corn  on  the  stalks,  with  which  their  horses  were 
fed  during  the  night. 

Shortly  after  the  army  halted  at  this  place  two  Indians  were  discovered 
by  some  men  who  had  walked  out  of  the  camp.  Three  shots  were  fired 
at  one  of  them,  but  without  effect.  As  soon  as  the  news  reached  the 
camp,  more  than  one  half  of  the  men  rushed  out,  without  command,  and 
in  the  most  tumultuous  manner,  to  see  what  had  happened.  From  that 
time  Colonel  Crawford  felt  a  presentiment  of  the  defeat  which  fol- 
lowed. 
5 


34  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

The  truth  is,  that  notwithstanding  the  secrecy  and  dispatch  with  which 
the  enterprise  had  been  gotten  up,  the  Indians  were  beforehand  with  the 
whites.  They  saw  the  rendezvous  on  the  Miugo  Bottom,  and  knew  the 
number  aud  destination  of  the  troops.  They  visited  every  encampment 
immediately  after  the  troops  had  left,  and  saw  from  their  writing  on  the 
trees  and  scraps  of  paper,  that  "  no  quarter  was  to  be  given  to  any  In- 
dian, whether  man,  woman  or  child." 

Nothing  of  importance  happened  during  their  march,  until  the  sixth 
of  June,  when  their  guide  conducted  them  to  the  site  of  the  Moravian 
villages,  on  one  of  .the  upper  branches  of  the  Sandusky  river.  From 
this  retreat  the  Christian  Indians  had  lately  been  driven  away  by  the 
Wyaudottes  to  the  Scioto,  and  here  the  army  of  Colonel  Crawford,  in- 
stead of  finding  Indians  and  plunder,  met  with  nothing  but  vestiges  of 
ruin  and  desolation. 

In  this  dilemma  what  was  to  be  done?  The  officers  held  a  council,  in 
which  it  was  determined  to  march  one  day  longer  in  the  direction  of  Up- 
per Sandusky,  and  if  they  should  not  reach  the  town  in  the  course  of  a 
day,  to  make  a  retreat  with  all  possible  speed. 

The  march  was  commenced  the  next  morning  through  the  plains  of 
Sandusky,  and  continued  until  2  o'clock,  when  the  advance  guard  was 
attacked  and  driven  in  by  the  Indians,  who  were  discovered  in  large 
numbers  in  the  high  grass  with  which  the  place  was  covered.  The  In- 
dian army  was  at  that  moment  about  entering  a  large  piece  of  woods, 
almost  entirely  surrounded  by  plains  ;  but  in  this  they  were  disappointed 
by  a  rapid  movement  of  the  whites.  The  battle  then  commenced  by  a 
heavy  fire  from  both  sides.  From  a  partial  possession  of  the  woods, 
which  they  had  gained  at  the  outset  of  the  battle,  the  Indians  were  soon 
dislodged.  They  then  attempted  to  gain  a  small  skirt  of  woods  on  the 
right  flank  of  Colonel  Crawford,  but  were  prevented  from  so  doing  by 
the  vigilance  and  bravery  of  Major  Leet,  who,  at  the  time,  commanded 
the  right  wing.  The  firing  was  heavy  and  incessant  until  dark,  when  it 
ceased,  and  both  armies  lay  on  their  arms  during  the  night.  Both  adopt- 
ed the  policy  of  kindling  large  fires  along  the  line  of  battle,  aud  then  re- 
tiring some  distance  in  the  rear  of  them,  to  prevent  being  surprised  by  a 
night  attack.  During  the  conflict  of  the  afternoon  three  of  our  men  were 
killed  and  several  wounded. 

In  the  morning  Colonel  Crawford's  army  occupied  the  battle  ground 
of  the  preceding  day.  The  Indians  made  no  attack  during  the  day,  un- 
til late  in  the  evening,  but  were  seen  in  large  bodies  traversing  the  plains 
in  various  directions.  Some  of  them  appeared  to  be  carrying  off  the 
dead  and  wounded. 

In  the  morning  of  this  day  a  council  of  officers  was  held,  and  a  retreat 


CRAWFORD'S  CAMPAIGN.  35 

was  resolved  on,  as  the  only  means  of  saving  the  army,  the  Indians  ap- 
pearing to  increase  in  number  every  hour. 

During  the  day  preparations  were  made  for  a  retreat,  by  burying  the 
dead,  burning  fires  over  the  graves  to  prevent  discovery,  and  preparing 
means  for  carrying  off  the  wounded.  The  retreat  was  to  commence  in  the 
course  of  the  night.  The  Indians,  however,  became  apprised  of  the  intend- 
ed retreat,  and  about  sundown  attacked  the  army  with  great  force  and  fury 
in  every  direction  except  that  of  Sandusky.  When  the  line  of  march 
was  formed  and  the  retreat  commenced,  Colonel  Crawford's  guides  pru- 
dently took  the  direction  of  Sandusky,  which  afforded  the  only  opening 
in  the  Indian  lines,  and  the  only  chance  of  concealment.  After  march- 
ing about  a  mile  in  this  direction  the  army  wheeled  about  to  the  left,  and 
by  a  circuitous  route,  gained  before  day,  the  trail  by  which  they  came. 
They  continued  their  march  the  whole  of  the  next  day  without  further  an- 
noyance than  the  firing  of  a  few  distant  shots  by  the  Indians  at  the  rear 
guard,  which  slightly  wounded  two  or  three  men.  At  night  they  built 
fires,  took  their  suppers,  secured  the  horses,  and  resigned  themselves  to 
repose,  without  placing  a  single  sentinel  or  vidette  for  safety.  In  this 
careless  situation  they  might  have  been  surprised  and  cut  off  by  the  In- 
dians, who,  however,  did  not  disturb  them  during  the  night,  nor  after- 
wards during  their  whole  retreat.  The  number  that  retreated  in  the 
main  body  is  supposed  to  have  been  about  three  hundred. 

But  several  parties,  supposing  that  they  could  more  effectually  secure 
their  safety  by  breaking  off  from  the  main  army  in  small  numbers,  were 
pursued  by  the  Indians  and  nearly  all  of  them  slain. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  retreat  Colonel  Crawford  placed  himself 
at  the  head  of  the  army,  and  continued  there  until  they  had  gone  about 
a  quarter  of  a  mile,  when,  missing  his  son,  John  Crawford,  his  son-in-law, 
Major  Harrison,  and  his  nephews,  Major  Rose  and  William  Crawford,  he 
halted  and  called  for  them,  as  the  line  passed,  but  without  finding  them. 
After  the  army  had  passed  him,  he  was  unable  to  overtake  it,  owing  to 
the  weariness  of  his  horse.  Falling  in  company  with  Dr.  Knight  and 
two  others,  they  traveled  all  night,  first  north  and  then  to  the  east,  to 
avoid  the  pursuit  of  the  Indians.  They  directed  their  courses  by  the 
north  star. 

On  the.  next  day  they  fell  in  with  Captain  John  Biggs  and  Lieutenant 
Ashley,  the  latter  of  whom  was  wounded.  Two  others  were  in  company 
with  Biggs  and  Ashley.  They  encamped  together  the  succeeding  night. 
On  the  next  day,  while  on  their  march,  they  were  attacked  by  a  party  of 
Indians,  who  made  Colonel  Crawford  and  Dr.  Knight  prisoners.  The 
other  four  made  their  escape,  but  Captain  Biggs  and  Lieutenant  Ashley 
were  killed  the  day  following. 

For  the  foregoing  facts,  and,  to  a  considerable  extent,  for  the  language 


36  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

in  which  they  are  given,  the  writer  acknowledges  his  indebtedness  to 
Doddridge's  Notes. 

"  The  Colonel  and  I,"  says  Dr.  Knight,  "  were  then  taken  to  the  In- 
dian camp,  which  was  about  half  a  mile  from  the  place  where  we  were 
captured.  On  Sunday  evening  five  Delawares,  who  had  posted  them- 
selves at  some  distance  further  on  the  road,  brought  back  to  the  camp, 
where  we  lay,  Captain  Biggs'  and  Lieutenant  Ashley's  scalps,  with  an 
Indian  scalp  which  Captain  Biggs  had  taked  in  the  field  of  action.  They 
also  brought  in  Biggs'  horse  and  mine.  They  told  us  the  two  other 
men  got  away  from  them, 

"  Monday  morning,  the  tenth  of  June,  we  were  paraded  to  march  to 
Sandusky,  about  thirty-three  miles  distant.  They  had  eleven  prisoners 
of  us  and.four  scalps,  the  Indians  being  seventeen  in  number. 

"  Colonel  ^Crawford  was  very  desirous  to  to  see  a  certain  Simon  Girty, 
who  lived  among  the  Indians,  and  was  on  this  account  permitted  to  go  to 
town  the  same  night,  with  two  warriors  to  guard  him,  they  having  orders 
at  the  same  time  to  pass  by  the  place  where  the  Colonel  had  turned  out 
his  hojse,  that  they  might,  if  possible,  find  him.  The  rest  of  us  were 
taken  as  far  as  the  old  town  (Sandusky),  which  was  within  eight  miles  of 
the  new. 

"  Tuesday  morning,  the  eleventh,  Colonel  Crawford  was  brought  out  of 
town  on  purpose  to  be  marched  in  with  the  other  prisoners.  I  asked  the 
Colonel  if  he  had  seen  Mr.  Girty.  He  told  me  he  had,  and  that  Girty 
had  promised  to  do  everything  in  his  power  for  him,  but  that  the  Indians 
were  very  much  enraged  against  the  prisoners,  particularly  Captain 
Pipe,  one  of  the  chiefs  ;  he  likewise  told  me  that  Girty  had  informed  him 
that  his  son-in-law,  Colonel  Harrison,  and  his  nephew,  William  Craw- 
ford, were  made  prisoners  by  the  .Shawnese,  but  had  been  pardoned. 
This  Captain  Pipe  had  cootie  from  the  towns  about  an  hour  before  Colonel 
Crawford,  and  had  painted  all  the  prisoners  faces  black, 

"As  he  was  painting  me,  he  told  me  I  should  go  to  the  Shawnese  towns 
and  see  my  friends.  When  the  Colonel  arrived  he  painted  him  black  also, 
told  him  he  was  glad  to  see  him,  and  that  he  would  have  him  shaved 
when  he  came  to  see  his' friends  at  the  Wyandotte  town.  When  we 
marched,  the  Colonel  and  I  were  kept^between  Pipe  and  Wingenim,  the 
two  Delaware  chiefs,  the  other  nine  prisoners  were  sent  forward  with  a 
party  of  Indians.  As  we  went  along  we  saw  four  of  the  prisoners  lying 
by  the  path  tomahawked  and  scalped  ;  some  of  them  were  at  the  distance 
of  half  a  mile  from  each  other.  When  we  arrived  within  half  a  mile  of 
the  place  where  the  Colonel  was  executed,  we  overtook  the  five  prisoners 
that  remained  alive.  The  Indians  had  caused  them  to  sit  down  on  the 
ground  ;  also  the  Colonel  and  myself,  at  some  distance  from  them.  I 
was  then  given  in  charge  of  an  Indian  fellow  to  be  taken  to  the 
Shawnese  towns. 


CRAWEORD'S  CAMPAIGN.  37 

"  In  the  place  where  we  were  now  made  to  sit  down,  there  was  a  num- 
ber of  squaws  and  boys,  who  fell  on  the  five  prisoners  and  tomahawked 
them.  There  was  a  certain  John  McKinley  among  the  prisoners, 
formerly  an  officer  in  the  13th  Virginia  Regiment,  whose  head  an  old 
squaw  cut  off,  and  the  Indians  kicked  it  about  upon  the  ground.  The  young 
Indian  fellows  came  often  where  the  Colonel  and  I  were,  and  dashed  the 
scalps  in  our  faces.  We  were  then  conducted  along  toward  the  place 
where  the  Colonel  was  afterwards  executed.  When  we  came  within 
half  a  mile  of  it,  Simon  Girty  met  us,  with  several  Indians  on  horse- 
back. He  spoke  to  the  Colonel,  but  as  I  was  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
yards  behind,  I  could  not  hear  what  passed  between  them. 

"Almost  every  Indian  we  met  struck  us  with  fists  or  sticks.  Girty 
waited  till  I  was  brought  up,  and  then  asked,  'Is  that  the  doctor ?' 
I  answered,  '  Yes,'  and  went  towards  him,  reaching  out  my  hand,  but  he 
bid  me  begone,  and  called  me  a  damned  rascal ;  upon  which  the  fellow 
who  had  me  in  charge  pulled  me  along.  Girty  rode  up  after  me  and 
told  me  that  I  was  to  go  to  the  Shawuese  towns. 

"  When  we  came  to  the  fire,  the  Colonel  was  stripped  naked,  ordered 
to  sit  down  by  the  fire,  and  then  they  beat  him  with  sticks  and  fists. 
Presently  after,  I  was  treated  in  the  same  manner.  They  then  tied  a 
rope  to  the  foot  of  a  post  about  fifteen  feet  high,  bound  the  Colonel's 
hands  behind  his  back,  and  fastened  the  rope  to  the  ligature  between  his 
wrists.  The  rope  was  long  enough  either  for  him  to  sit  down  or  to  walk 
round  the  post  once  or  twice  and  return  the  same  way.  The  Colonel 
then  called  to  Girty,  and  asked  if  they  intended  to  burn  him  ?  Girty 
answered,  'Yes.'  The  Colonel  said  he  would  take  it  all  patiently. 
Upon  this,  Captain  Pipe,  a  Delaware  chief,  made  a  speech  to  the  In- 
dians, consisting  of  about  thirty  or  forty  men,  and  sixty  or  seventy 
squaws  and  boys. 

"  When  the  speech  was  finished,  they  all  yelled  a  hideous  and  hearty 
assent  to  what  had  been  said.  The  Indian  men  then  took  up  their  guns 
and  shot  powder  into  the  Colonel's  body,  from  his  feet  as  far  up  as  his 
neck.  I  think  not  less  than  seventy  loads  were  discharged  upon  his 
naked  body.  They  then  crowded  about  him,  and  to  the  best  of  my  ob- 
.  servation,  cut  off  his  ears.  When  the  throng  had  dispersed  a  little,  I 
saw  the  blood  running  from  both  sides  of  his  head. 

"  The  fire  was  about  six  or  seven  yards  from  the  post  to  which  the 
Colonel  was  tied ;  it  was  made  of  small  hickory  poles,  burnt  quite 
through  in  the  middle,  each  end  of  the  poles  remaining  about  six  feet  in 
length.  Three  or  four  Indians,  by  turns,  would  take  up,  individually, 
one  of  these  burning  pieces  of  wood  and  apply  it  to  his  naked  body,  al- 
ready burnt  black  with  powder.  These  tormentors  presented  themselves 
on  every  side  of  him,  so  that  whichever  way  he  ran  round  the  post  they 


38  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

met  him  with  the  burning  fagots  and  poles.  Some  of  the  squaws  took 
broad  boards,  upon  which  they  would  put  a  quantity  of  burning  coals  and 
hot  embers  and  throw  them  on  him,  so  that  in  a  short  time  he  had 
nothing  but  coals  of  fire  and  hot  ashes  to  walk  upon. 

"  In  the  midst  of  these  extreme  tortures,  he  called  to  Simon  Girty,  and 
begged  him  to  shoot  him  ;  but  Girty  making  no  answer  he  called  him 
again.  Girty  then,  by  way  of  derision,  told  the  Colonel  he  had  no  gun, 
at  the  same  time  turning  about  to  an  Indian  who  was  behind  him, 
laughed  heartily,  and  by  all  his  gestures  seemed  delighted  at  the  horrid 
scene. 

"  Girty  then  came  up  to  me  and  bade  me  prepare  for  death.  He  said, 
however,  '  I  was  not  to  die  at  that  place,  but  to  be  burnt  at  the  Shawnese 
towns.  He  swore  by  G — d  I  need  not  expect  to  escape  death,  but  should 
suffer  it  in  all  its  extremities.' 

"  Col  Crawford  at  this  period  of  his  suffering,  besought  the  Almighty 
to  have  mercy  on  his  soul,  spoke  very  low,  and  bore  his  torments  with 
the  most  manly  fortitude.  He  continued  in  all  the  extremities  of  pain 
for  an  hour  and  three-quarters  or  two  hours  longer,  as  near  as  I  can 
judge,  when  at  last  being  almost  spent,  he  laid  down  on  his  belly. 
They  then  scalped  him,  and  repeatedly  threw  the  scalp  in  my  face, 
telling  me,  '  That  is  your  great  Captain's.'  An  old  squaw,  (whose  ap- 
pearance every  way  answered  the  idea  people  entertain  of  the  devil),  got 
a  board,  took  a  parcel  of  coals  and  ashes  and  laid  them  on  his  back  and 
head  after  he  had  been  scalped.  He  then  raised  upon  his  feet  and  began 
to  walk  round  the  post.  They  next  but  a  burning  stick  to  him,  as 
usual,  but  he  seemed  more  insensible  to  pain  than  before.  After  he 
expired  his  body  was  thrown  into  the  fire  and  consumed  to  ashes." — Dr. 
Knight. 

Colonel  Crawford  was  about  fifty  years  of  age,  when  he  suffered  at  the 
stake.  His  son-in-law  and  nephew  were  executed  about  the  same  time. 
His  son  John  escaped.  Dr.  Knight  was  doomed  to  be  executed  at  a 
town  about  fifty  miles  from  Sandusky,  and  was  committed  to  the  care  of 
a  young  Indian  to  be  taken  there.  The  first  day  they  traveled  about 
twenty-five  miles,  and  encamped  for  the  night.  In  the  morning,  the 
gnats  being  very  troublesome,  the  Doctor  requested  the  Indian  to  untie 
him,  that  he  might  help  to  make  a  fire  to  keep  them  off.  With  this  re- 
quest the  Indian  complied.  While  the  Indian  was  on  his  knees  and 
elbows,  blowing  the  fire,  the  Doctor  caught  up  a  piece  of  tent  pole  which 
had  been  burned  in  two,  about  eighteen  inches  long,  with  which  he  struck 
the  Indian  oh  the  head  with  all  his  might,  so  as  to  knock  him  forward 
into  the  fire.  The  stick,  however,  broke,  so  that  the  Indian,  although 
severely  hurt,  was  not  killed,  but  immediately  sprang  up.  On  this,  the 
Doctor  caught  up  the  Indian's  gun  to  shoot  him,  but  drew  back  the  cock 


CRAWFORD'S   CAMPAIGN.  39 

with  so  much  force  as  to  break  the  main-spring.  The  Indian  ran 
off  with  a  hideous  yell.  The  Doctor  then  made  the  best  of  his  way 
home,  which  he  reached  in  twenty-one  days,  almost  famished.  On  his 
journey  he  subsisted  on  roots,  a  few  young  birds  and  berries. 

Thus  ends  this  sad  and  heart-rending  story  ;  and  thus  it  may  be  said, 
were  the  Moravians  signally  avenged.  But  to  what  extent  the  sword  of 
justice  fell  upon  the  really  guilty  parties,  the  writer  does  not  pretend  to 
know,  nor  does  he  consider  it  his  province  to  decide.  But  to  every 
reflective  mind,  it  must  be  evident,  that  the  disasters  connected  with  this 
unfortunate  campaign  may  be  referred  to,  in  a  general  way,  as  furnishing 
one  of  the  many  striking  proofs  afforded  by  the  history  of  the  world, 
that  retributive  justice  is  sooner  or  later  meted  out  to  evil  doers,  and  that 
"  the  way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard,"  whether  it  be  spoken  of  individ- 
uals or  communities.  Those  who  claim  to  live  under  the  laws  of 
civilization,  should  not  allow  themselves  to  be  governed  by  the  rules 
which  belong  only  to  a  state  of  savage  lawlessness. 

Having  narrated  the  events  connected  with  the  battle  of  Point 
Pleasant,  the  Seige  of  Fort  Henry,  the  Moravian  Massacre,  Crawford's 
Campaign,  and  Foreman's  Disaster,  together  with  some  others  which 
cluster  closely  about  them,  the  remainder  of  this  work  will  be  occupied 
chiefly  with  brief  descriptions  of  some  of  the  more  thrilling  incidents  be- 
longing to  that  state  of  border  warfare  which  existed  for  several  years, 
in  the  upper  Ohio  Valley. 

In  doing  this,  greater  regard  will  be  paid  to  locality,  than  to  the  strict 
order  of  dates.  Most  of  the  descriptions  will  relate  to  acts  and  scenes  of 
personal  daring  and  bravery,  which,  although  strictly  true  in  point  of 
fact,  are  of  such  marvelous  character  as  to  border  almost  on  the  wildest 
visions  of  romance. 


VI. 


MORGAN'S  RENCONTRE. 


of  the  earliest  frontier  settlers  was  David  Morgan  "  a  man  of 
great  energy  of  character  and  sterling  worth.  He  was  a  near  rel- 
ative of  General  Morgan,  of  Revolutionary  memory,  and,  like  that 
distinguished  officer,  possessed,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  courage  and  ca- 
pacity for  almost  any  emergency. 

"  At  the  time  we  speak  of,"  says  De  Hass  "  Mr.  Morgan  was  living 
near  Prickett's  Fort,  about  twelve  miles  above  Morgantown,  and  close  to 
the  Monongahela  River.  He  was  then  upward  of  sixty  years  of  age,  and 
for  some  days  had  been  slightly  indisposed.  Early  in  April,  1779,  he 
desired  two  of  his  children,  Stephen,  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  Sarah, 
about  fourteen,  to  feed  the  stock  at  his  farm,  distant  about  one  mile,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  This  he  did,  in  consequence  of  feeling 
worse  that  morning  than  usual.  No  Indians  had  yet  been  seen  in  the 
neighborhood,  and,  of  course,  he  considered  all  perfectly  safe.  As  the 
weather  was  fine,  the  brother  and  sister  concluded  to  remain  and  pre- 
pare a  piece  of  ground  for  melons.  Soon  after  they  left  the  fort — for 
they  were  then  at  the  stockade — Mr.  Morgan  lay  down,  and,  shortly  fall- 
ing to  sleep,  dreamed  that  he  saw  the  children  walking  before  him 
scalped.  This  vision  awoke  him,  and  finding  upon  inquiry  that  the  chil- 
dren had  not  returned,  he  became  uneasy,  and  started  immediately  in 
hunt  of  them.  Approaching  the  premises,  he  beheld  his  children  busily 
engaged  in  the  manner  already  indicated. 

"  Seating  himself  upon  a  log  close  at  hand,  Morgan  watched  his  chil- 
dren for  some  time,  when  suddenly  he  saw  emerge  from  the  house  two  In- 
dians, who  moved  rapidly  up  toward  Stephen  and  his  sister.  Fearing  to 
alarm  the  children,  Morgan  cautiously  warned  them  of  their  danger,  and 
told  them  to  go  at  once  to  the  fort.  They  instantly  obeyed,  and  the  In- 
dians, discovering  their  movements,  gave  their  accustomed  whoop,  and 
started  in  pursuit.  Morgan,  having  hitherto  escaped  their  attention,  now 
arose,  and  returning  their  shout,  caused  the  savages  to  seek  behind  trees 
instant  protection. 


MORGAN'S  RENCONTRE.  41 

"  Knowing  that  the  chances  of  a  fair  fight  were  almost  hopeless,  Mor- 
gan thought  to  escape  by  running,  and  so  manage  as  to  keep  the  trees 
between  himself  and  the  enemy.  In  this,  however,  he  was  mistaken. 
Impaired  health  and  the  imfirmities  of  age  disabled  him  from  keeping 
long  beyond  the  reach  of  the  fleet  and  athletic  warriors.  Finding,  after 
a  run  of  some  two  hundred  yards,  that  the  savages  were  rapidly  gaining 
on  him,  he  determined  to  shoot  one ,  and  take  his  chance  with  the  other. 
Turning  to  fire,  both  Indians  sprung  behind  trees,  and  Morgan  did  the 
same  ;  but  finding  the  one  lie  first  gained  too  small  to  protect  his  person, 
he  quitted  it  and  made  for  another,  which  was  reached  in  safety. 

"  One  of  the  Indians,  hoping  to  get  nearer  his  intended  victim,  ran  to 
the  tree  which  Morgan  had  left,  but  finding  it  too  small,  threw  himself 
behind  a  log  close  at  hand.  This,  however,  did  not  conceal  him  entirely, 
which  Morgan  noticing,  instantly  fired  and  shot  the  savage  through  the 
part  exposed.  Feeling  himself  mortally  wounded,  with  more  than  Spar- 
tan fortitude,  he  drew  his  knife,  and  inflicted  two  deep  stabs  upon  his 
breast.  To  him  death  had  no  terrors,  save  as  dealt  by  the  hand  of  his 
white  antagonist. 

"  The  heroic  old  man,  having  thus  effectually  disposed  of  one  of  his 
pursuers,  again  resorted  to  flight.  The  chances  were  now  desperate,  as 
the  Indian  had  the  double  advantage  of  tomahawk  and  rifle.  Running 
fifty  or  sixty  yards,  he  glanced  hurriedly  over  his  shoulder,  just  in  time 
to  see  the  savage  ready  to  fire.  Jumping  to  one  side,  the  ball  passed 
harmlessly  by,  and  the  two  now  felt  that  the  combat  must  be  brought  to 
close  quarters.  With  all  the  fury  of  his  nature,  the  savage  rushed  upon 
his  adversary  with  loud  yells  and  uplifted  tomahawk.  Morgan  prepared 
to  meet  him  with  his  gun,  but  the  savage  aimed  a  blow  with  his  toma- 
hawk with  such  force  and  effect  as  to  knock  the  rifle  from  Morgan's  grasp 
and  cut  two  of  the  fingers  from  his  left  hand.  They  now  clinched,  and 
the  combat  became  equal,  except  the  savage  was  the  younger  and  much 
more  powerful  of  the  two.  Frantic  at  the  loss  of  his  companion,  and  his 
own  ill-success,  he  fought  with  a  desperation  rarely  known  in  single  com- 
bat; Morgan,  on  the  other  part,  inspirited  by  the  success  which  had  thus 
far  attended  him,  nerved  his  arm,  and  strung  every  muscle  to  the  conflict, 
resolved  to  kill  his  combatant  or  sell  his  life  as  dearly  as  possible.  Our 
hero,  in  his  younger  days,  had  been  a  most  expert  wrestler,  and  was  thus 
enabled  with  ease  to  throw  the  Indian  ;  but  the  latter,  more  active  and 
powerful,  readily  turned  him.  With  a  yell  of  exultation  the  savage  now 
held  his  adversary  down,  and  began  to  feel  for  his  knife.  Morgan  saw 
the  movement,  and  well  knew  all  would  be  over  if  the  savage  got  posses- 
sion of  it. 

"The  Indian   was  prevented  getting  the  knife  by  a  woman's  apron, 
which  he  had  wrapped  around  his  body  in  such  a  manner  as  to  confine 
6 


42  LEGNDS  OP  THE  VALLEY. 

the  handle.  Whilst,  endeavoring  to  extricate  it  Morgan  got  one  of  the 
Indian's  thumbs  between  his  teeth,  and  so  effectually  ground  it  that  the 
poor  wretch  was  sadly  disconcerted,  and  more  than  once  screamed  with 
pain.  Finally  he  grasped  his  knife,  but  so  close  to  the  blade  that  Mor- 
gan, noticing  it,  caught  the  end  of  the  handle  And  drew  it  through  the 
Indian's  hand,  cutting  it  severely.  The  savage  was  now  literally  /tors  de 
combat,  and,  springing  to  his  feet,  endeavored  to  get  away;  but  the  resolute 
Morgan,  not  yet  having  done  with  him,  held  on  to  the  thumb,  until  he 
had  inflicted  a  mortal  thrust  in  the  side  of  the  enemy.  Letting  go,  the 
Indian  sank  almost  lifeless  to  the  ground,  and  Morgan  made  his  way  to 
the  fort.  Before  reaching  the  river  he  overtook  his  children.  After 
hearing  his  adventure  a  party  of  men  left  the  fort  and  proceeded  to  the 
place  of  conflict.  On  reaching  the  spot  nothing  was  to  be  seen  of  the 
wounded  Indian  ;  but  his  trail  of  blood  indicated  the  place  of  his  con- 
cealment. The  poor  creature  had  taken  the  knife  from  his  side,  bound 
up  the  wound  with  the  apron  already  alluded  to,  and,  as  the  whites  ap- 
proached him  he  feelingly  accosted  them  with  '  How  do  do,  broder  ?'  But 
this  met  with  no  fraternal  response  from  the  party  who  discovered  his 
retreat.  He  was  immediately  dispatched,  and  both  he  and  his  compan- 
ion were  scalped." 


VII. 


LEWIS  WETZEL'S  EXPLOITS. 


^EWIS  WETZEL  was  the  son  of  John  Wetzel,  a  German,  who 
settled  on  Big  Wheeling  creek,  about  fourteen  miles  from  the  Ohio 
river,  and  was  killed  by  the  Indians  near  Captina,  in  1787,  when 
Lewis  was  about  23  years  of  age.  The  education  of  Lewis,  like  that  of 
his  cotemporaries,  was  that  of  the  hunter  and  warrior.  When  a  bov 
he  adopted  the  practice  of  loading  and  firing  his  rifle  as  he  ran.  This 
was  a  means  of  making  him  fearfully  destructive  to  the  Indians  in  after 
life.  On  account  of  his  father's  death  he  and  his  brothers,  of  whom  he 
had  five,  vowed  sleepless  vengeance  against  the  whole  Indian  race. 

During  the  lifetime  of  his  father,  "  when  he  was  about  thirteen  years 
of  age,  Lewis  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians,  together  with  his 
brother  Jacob,  about  eleven  years  old.  Before  he  was  taken,  he  received 
a  slight  wound  in  the  breast  from  a  bullet,  which  carried  off  a  small 
piece  of  his  breast-bone.  The  second  night  after  they  were  taken,  the 
Indians  encamped  at  the  Big  Lick,  twenty  miles  from  the  river,  on  the 
waters  of  McMechen's  creek.*  The  boys  were  not  confined.  After  the 
Indians  had  fallen  asleep,  Lewis  whispered  to  his  brother  Jacob  that  he 
must  get  up  and  go  back  home  with  him.  Jacob  at  first  objected,  but 
afterwards  got  up  and  went  along  with  him.  When  they  had  gone  about 
one  hundred  yards  from  the  camp,  they  sat  down  on  a  log.  '  Well,'  said 
Lewis,  '  we  cannot  go  home  barefooted  ;  I  will  go  back  and  get  a  pair 
of  moccasins  for  each  of  us,'  and  accordingly  did  so,  and  returned. 
After  sitting  a  little  longer,  '  Now,'  said  he,  '  I  will  go  back  and  get 
father's  gun,  and  then  we  will  start.'  This  he  effected.  They  had  not 
traveled  far  011  the  trail  by  which  they  came,  before  they  heard  the  In- 
dians coming  after  them.  It  was  a  moonlight  night.  When  the  Indians 
came  pretty  near  them,  they  stepped  aside  into  the  bushes,  let  them 
pass,  then  fell  into  the  rear,  and  traveled  on.  On  the  return  of  the  In- 

*This  creek  takes  its  name  from  Captain  Wm.  McMechen,  who  settled  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Ohio  river,  nearly  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  creek,  about  the  year  1777. 


44  LEGENDS  OF  THE  VALLEY. 

dians  they  did  the  same.  They  were  then  pursued  by  two  Indians  on 
horseback,  whom  they  dodged  in  the  same  way.  The  next  day  they 
reached  Wheeling  in  safety,  crossing  from  the  Indian  shore  to  Wheeling 
Island  on  a  raft  of  their  own  making.  By  this  time  Lewis  had  been 
almost  spent  from  his  wound. 

"  In  the  year  1782,  after  Crawford's  defeat,  Lewis  went  with  a  Thomas 
Mills,  who  had  been  in  the  campaign,  to  get  his  horse,  which  he  had  left 
near  the  place  where  St.  Glairsville  now  stands.  At  the  Indian  springs, 
two  miles  from  St.  Clairsville,  on  the  Wheeling  road  they  were  met  by 
about  forty  Indians,  who  were  in  pursuit  of  the  stragglers  from  the  cam- 
paign. The  Indians  and  white  men  discovered  each  other  about  the 
same  moment.  Lewis  fired  first  and  killed  an  Indian,  while  the  Indians 
wounded  Mills  in  the  heel,  who  was  soon  overtaken  and  killed.  Four  of 
the  Indians  then  singled  out,  dropped  their  guns,  and  pursued  Wetzel. 
Wetzel  loaded  his  rifle  as  he  ran.  After  running  about  half  a  mile,  one 
of  the  Indians  having  gotten  within  eight  or  ten  steps  of  him,  Wetzel 
wheeled  round  and  shot  him  down,  ran,  and  loaded  his  gun  as  before. 
After  going  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  further,  a  second  Indian  came 
so  close  to  him,  that  when  he  turned  to  fire,  the  Indian  caught  the  muzzle 
of  the  gun,  and,  as  he  expressed  it,  '  he  and  the  Indian  had  a  severe 
wring.'  He,  however,  succeeded  in  bringing  the  muzzle  to  the  Indian's 
breast,  and  killed  him  on  the  spot.  By  this  time,  he  as  well  as  the  In- 
dians were  pretty  well  tired  ;  yet  the  pursuit  was  continued  by  the  two 
remaining  Indians.  Wetzel,  as  before,  loaded  his  gun,  and  stopped 
several  times  during  this  latter  chase  ;  when  he  did  so,  the  Indians 
treed  themselves.  After  going  something  more  than  a  mile,  Wetzel 
took  ad  vantage  of  a  little  open  piece  of  ground  over  which  the  Indians  were 
passing,  a  short  distance  behind  him,  to  made  a  sudden  stop  for  the  pur- 
pose of  shooting  the  foremost,  who  got  behind  a  little  sapling,  which  was 
too  small  to  cover  his  body.  Wetzel  shot,  and  broke  his  thigh.  The 
wound  in  the  issue  proved  fatal.  The  last  of  the  Indians,  then  gave  a 
little  yell,  and  said, '  No  catch  dat  man,  gun  always  loaded,'  and  gave  up 
the  chase,  glad  no  doubt  to  get  off  with  his  life." — Doddridge. 

It  seems  to  be  generally  conceded,  that  a  most  fatal  decoy  on  the 
frontier  was  the  "  turkey-call."  Several  anecdotes  of  pretty  much  the 
same  tenor  are  related  with  reference  to  different  parties,  and  different 
localities,  only  one  of  which  will  be  here  given. 

The  following  is  taken  from  De  Hass  :  "  On  several  occasions,  men 
from  the  fort  at  Wheeling  had  gone  across  the  hill  in  quest  of  a  turkey, 
whose  vociferous  gobbling  had  elicited  their  attention,  and  on  more  than 
one  occasion  the  men  never  returned,  Wetzel  suspected  the  cause,  and 
determined  to  satisfy  himself.  On  the  east  side  of  the  creek,  and  at  a 
point  elevated  at  least  sixty  feet  above  the  water,  there  is  a  small  cavern, 


LEWIS  WETZEL'S  EXPLOITS.  45 

the  entrance  to  which  at  that  time  was  almost  obscured  by  a  heavy 
growth  of  vines  and  foliage.  Into  this  the  alluring  savage  would 
crawl,  and  there  have  an  extensive  view  of  the  hill  front  on  the  opposite 
side.  From  that  cavern  issued  the  decoy  of  death  to  more  than  one 
incautious  soldier  and  settler.  Wetzel  knew  of  the  existence  and  exact 
locality  of  the  cave,  and  accordingly  started  out  before  day,  and  by  a 
circuitous  route,  reached  the  spot  from  the  rear.  Posting  himself  so  as  to 
command  a  view  of  the  opening,  he  waited  patiently  for  the  expected 
cry.  Directly  the  twisted  tuft  of  an  Indian  warrior  slowly  rose  in  the 
mouth  of  the  cave,  and  looking  cautiously  about  sent  forth  the  usual 
gobble,  and  immediately  sunk  back  out  of  view.  Lewis  screened  himself 
in  his  position,  cocked  his  gun  and  anxiously  awaited  the  reappearance 
of  the  tufted  head.  In  a  few  minutes  up  rose  the  tuft,  Lewis  drew  a  fine 
aim  at  the  polished  head,  and  the  next  instant  the  brains  of  the  savage 
were  scattered  about  the  cave.  That  turkey  troubled  the  inhabitants  no 
longer." 

The  foregoing  gives  only  a  tithe  of  the  many  hazardous  exploits  be- 
tween the  settlers  and  the  Indians  in  which  Lewis  Wetzel  was  engaged. 
It  is  said,  that  in  the  course  of  these  wars,  in  the  upper  Ohio  Valley,  he 
killed  twenty-seven  Indians,  besides  a  number  more  along  the  frontier 
settlements  of  Kentucky.  As  might  naturally  be  expected,  he  was  of  a 
roving  disposition.  He  is  believed  to  have  died  at  the  residence  of  a 
relative,  named  Philip  Sikes,  about  twenty  miles  in  the  interior  from 
Natchez. 

It  is  said  of  Lewis  Wetzel,  "  that  he  loved  his  friends  and  hated  his 
enemies."  He  belonged  like  many  others,  to  the  heroic  period  of  our 
country  ;  and  although  rude  and  uncultivated  in  manners,  it  may  be 
considered  entirely  within  the  range  of  probability,  that  his  name  will 
live  in  history,  poetry  and  song  to  the  latest  posterity. 


VIII. 

THE  POE  BROTHERS  AND  BIG  FOOT. 


MONO  those  who  settled  at  an  early  day  near  the  northern  ex- 
tremity of  what  is  now  called  the  Pan-handle  of  West  Virginia, 
were  two  brothers,  Adam  and  Andrew  Poe.  They  were  born  in 
Maryland,  and  emigrated  to  the  West  in  1774.  Adam  was  the  elder  of 
the  two  by  five  years.  He  lived  to  the  age  of  ninety-three,  and  died  in 
1840. 

"  In  the  summer  of  1782,  a  party  of  seven  Wyandottes  made  an  incur- 
sion into  a  settlement  some  distance  below  Fort  Pitt,  and  several  miles 
from  the  Ohio  River.  Here  finding  an  old  man  alone  in  a  cabin,  they 
killed  him,  packed  up  what  plunder  they  could  find,  and  commenced 
their  retreat.  Amongst  their  party  was  a  celebrated  Wyandotte  chief, 
who,  in  addition  to  his  fame  as  a  warrior  and  counsellor,  was  as  to  his  size 
and  strength,  a  real  giant."  This  Indian  was  known  by  the  name  of 
"  Big  Foot." 

"  The  news  of  the  visit  of  the  Indians  soon  spread  through  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  a  party  of  eight  good  riflemen  was  collected  in  a  few  hours 
for  the  purpose  of  pursuing  them.  In  this  party  were  the  two  brothers, 
Adam  and  Andrew  Poe.  They  were  both  famous  for  courage,  size  and 
activity.  This  little  party  commenced  the  pursuit  of  the  Indians  with  a 
determination,  if  possible  not  to  suffer  them  to  escape,  as  they  usually 
did  on  such  occasions,  by  making  a  speedy  flight  to  the  river,  crossing  it 
and  then  dividing  into  small  parties,  to  meet  at  a  distant  point  in  a  given 
time.  The  pursuit  was  continued  a  greater  part  of  the  night  after  the 
Indians  had  done  the  mischief.  In  the  morning  the  party  found  them- 
selves on  the  trail  of  the  Indians,  which  led  to  the  river.  When  arrived 
at  a  little  distance  from  the  river,  Adam  Poe,  fearing  an  ambuscade,  left 
the  party,  who  followed  directly  on  the  trail,  to  creep  along  the  brink  of 
the  river  bank,  under  cover  of  the  weeds  and  bushes,  to  fall  on  the  rear 
of  the  Indians,  should  he  find  them  in  ambuscade.  He  had  not  gone  far 
before  he  saw  the  Indian  rafts  at  the  water's  edge.  Not  seeing  any  In- 
dians he  stepped  softly  down  the  bank,  with  his  rifle  cocked.  When 
about  half  way  down  he  discovered  the  large  Wyandotte  chief  and  a 


THE  POE  BROTHERS  AND  BIG  FOOT.  47 

small  Indian,  within  a  few  steps  of  him.  They  were  standing  with  their 
guns  cocked,  and  looking  in  the  direction  of  our  party,  who  by  this  time 
had  gone  some  distance  lower  down  the  bottom.  Poe  took  aim  at  the 
large  chief,  but  his  rifle  missed  fire.  The  Indians  bearing  the  snap  of 
the  gun-lock,  instantly  turned  round  and  discovered  Poe,  who,  being  too 
near  them  to  retreat,  dropped  his  gun  and  sprang  from  the  bank  upon 
them,  and,  seizing  the  large  Indian  by  the  clothes  on  his  breast,  and  at 
the  same  time  embracing  the  neck  of  the  small  one,  threw  them  both 
down  on  the  ground,  himself  being  uppermost.  The  small  Indian  soon 
extricated  himself,  ran  to  the  raft,  got  his  tomahawk,  and  attempted  to 
dispatch  Poe,  the  large  Indian  holding  him  fast  in  his  arms  with  all  his 
might,  the  better  to  enable  his  fellow  to  effect  his  purpose,  Poe,  however, 
so  well  watched  the  motions  of  his  assailant,  that  when  in  the  act  of  aim- 
ing a  blow  at  his  head,  by  a  vigorous  and  well-directed  kick  with  one  of 
his  feet,  he  staggered  the  savage,  and  knocked  the  tomahawk  out  of  his 
hand.  This  failure  on  the  part  of  the  small  Indian  was  reproved  by  an 
exclamation  of  contempt  from  the  large  one. 

"  In  a  moment  the  Indian  caught  up  his  tomahawk  again,  approached 
more  cautiously,  brandishing  his  tomahawk  and  making  a  number  of 
feigned  blows  in  defiance  and  derision.  Poe,  however,  still  on  his  guard, 
averted  the  real  blow  from  his  head  by  throwing  up  his  arm  and  re- 
ceiving it  on  his  wrist,  in  which  he  was  severely  wounded  ;  but  not  so  as 
to  lose  entirely  the  use  of  his  hand.  In  this  perilous  moment  Poe,  by  a 
violent  effort,  broke  loose  from  the  Indian,  snatched  up  one  of  the  In- 
dian's guns,  and  shot  the  small  Indian  through  the  breast,  as  he  ran  up  a 
third  time  to  tomahawk  him.  The  large  Indian  was  now  on  his  feet,  and 
grasping  Poe  by  a  shoulder  and  leg,  threw  him  down  on  his  back.  Poe 
instantly  disengaged  himself,  and  got  on  his  feet.  The  Indian  then 
seized  him  again,  and  a  new  struggle  ensued,  which,  owing  to  the  slippery 
state  of  the  bank,  ended  in  the  fall  of  both  combatants  into  the  water. 
In  this  situation  it  was  the  object  of  each  to  drown  the  other.  Their  ef- 
forts to  effect  their  purpose  were  continued  for  some  time,  with  alternate 
success,  sometimes  one  being  under  water  and  sometimes  the  other.  Poe 
at  length  seized  the  tuft  of  hair  on  the  scalp  of  the  Indian,  with  which  he 
held  his  head  under  water  until  he  supposed  him  drowned.  Relaxing  his 
hold  too  soon,  Poe  instantly  found  his  gigantic  antagonist  on  his  feet 
again  and  ready  for  another  combat.  In  this  they  were  carried  into  the 
water  beyond  their  depth.  In  this  situation  they  were  compelled  to 
loose  their  hold  on  each  other  and  swim  for  mutual  safety.  Both  sought 
the  shore  to  seize  a  gun  and  end  the  contest  with  bullets.  The  Indian, 
being  the  best  swimmer,  reached  the  land  first.  Poe  seeing  this,  imme- 
diately turned  back  into  the  water,  to  escape  being  shot,  il  possible,  by 


48  LEGENDS  OF 

diving.  Fortunately  the  Indian  caught  up  the  rifle  with,  which  Poe  had 
killed  the  other  warrior.  At  this  juncture  Andrew  Poe,  missing  his 
brother  from  the  party,  and  supposing  from  the  report  of  the  gun  which 
he  shot  that  he  was  either  killed  or  engaged  in  conflict  with  the  Indians, 
hastened  to  the  spot.  On  seeing  him  Adam  called  out,  to  '.kill  the  big 
Indian  on  shore.'  But  Andrew's  gun,  like  that  of  the  Indian's,  was  emp- 
ty. The  contest  was  now  between  the  white  and  the  Indian  who  should 
load  and  fire  first.  Very  fortunately  for  Poe,  the  Indian  in  loading  drew 
the  ramrod  from  the  thimbles  of  the  stock  of  the  gun  with  so  much  vio- 
lence that  it  slipped  out  of  his  hands  and  fell  a  little  distance  from  him. 
He  quickly  caught  it  up  and  rammed  down  his  bullet.  This  little  delay 
gave  Poe  the  advantage.  He  shot  the  Indian  as  he  was  raising  his  gun 
to  take  aim  at  him. 

"  As  soon  as  Andrew  had  shot  the  Indian  he  jumped  into  the  river  to 
assist  his  wounded  brother  to  shore  ;  but  Adam,  thinking  more  of  the 
honor  of  carrying  the  scalp  of  the  big  Indian  home  as  atrophy  of  victory 
than  his  own  safety,  urged  Andrew  to  go  back  and  prevent  the  struggling 
savage  from  rolling  into  the  river  and  escaping.  Andrew's  solicitude 
for  the  life  of  his  brother  prevented  him  from  complying  with  this  request. 
In  the  meantime  the  Indian,  jealous  of  the  honor  of  his  scalp,  even  in  the 
agonies  of  death,  succeeded  iu  reaching  the  river  and  getting  into  the 
current,  so  that  his  body  was  never  obtained.  An  unfortunate  occur- 
rence took  place  during  the  conflict.  Just  as  Andrew  arrived  at  the  top 
of  the  bank  for  the  relief  of  his  brother  one  of  the  party  who  had  follow- 
ed close  behind  him,  seeing  Adam  in  the  river,  and  mistaking  him  for 
a  wounded  Indian,  shot  at  him  and  wounded  him  in  the  shoulder.  He, 
however,  recovered  from  his  wound.  During  the  contest  between  Adarn 
Poe  and  the  Indians  the  party  had  overtaken  the  remaining  six  of  them. 
A  desperate  conflict  ensued,  in  which  five  of  the  Indians  were  killed. 
Our  loss  was  three  men  killed,  and  Adam  Poe  severely  wounded.  Thus 
ended  this  Spartan  conflict,  with  the  loss  of  three  valiant  men  on  our 
part,  and  with  that  of  the  whole  Indian  party  excepting  one  warrior. 
Never  on  any  occasion  was  there  a  greater  display  of  desperate  bravery, 
and  seldom  did  a  conflict  take  place,  which,  in  the  issue,  proved  fatal  tc 
so  great  a  proportion  of  those  engaged  in  it. 

"  The  fatal  result  of  this  campaign,  on  the  side  of  the  Indians,  occa 
siou.  d  a  universal  mourning  among  the  Wyandotte  nation.  The  big 
Indian  and  his  four  brothers,  all  of  whom  were  killed  in  the  same  place 
were  among  the  most  distinguished  chiefs  and  warriors  of  their  nation. 

"The  big  Indian  was  magnanimous  as  well  as  brave.  He,  more  than  any 
other  individual,  contributed,  by^his  example  and  influence,  to  the  good 
character  of  the  Wyandottes  for  lenity  towards  their  prisoners.  He  would 
not  suffer  them  to  be  killed  or  illtreated.  This  mercy  to  captives  was  an 


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